Britain has always been a craft land. For generations what we made with our hands defined our identities, built our communities and shaped our regions. BAFTA-nominated broadcaster and historian James Fox talks to Julia Wheeler about his recent book Craftland, in which he seeks out Britain’s last remaining master craftspeople and brings to life the vanishing skills, traditions and trades that made the fabric and governed the rhythms of everyday life in this country for hundreds of years.

James Fox is a broadcaster and Cambridge art historian with more than 15 years presenting acclaimed BBC documentaries. His series include the BAFTA-nominated British Masters; RTS-nominated A History of Art in Three Colours; The Age of the Image; and Nature and Us: A Journey Through Art.

Photo © Nancy Macdonald