wooden thatching bat

Strawcraft and Thatching Objects

Extent
573

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wooden thatching bat
Thatching bat. MERL 61/4

The Museum of English Rural Life holds a range of objects relating to the craft of straw-working from tools to finished products. The crafts found in the collection include corn dolly making, rope making, skep making, straw hat making and thatching. 

More information

The objects are classified into categories based on process. The objects are catalogued on the online database. Search using the word ‘straw’. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Connected Objects

Festival of Britain thatching objects (MERL 52/82-83, 85-91, & 79/64).
Author
adm1n
/
Published Date
December 22, 2021

Thatching tools

Set of tools exhibited in the Country Pavilion at the Festival of Britain, 1951, used to tell the story of straw.

The face of King Alfred, a staw sculpture, against a black background.
Author
joevaughan
/
Published Date
May 8, 2017

King Alfred

Learn more about King Alfred, our straw ‘sculpture’ made by master thatcher Jesse Maycock for the 1961 University College ball, Oxford.

Mattress (MERL 61/242)
Author
joevaughan
/
Published Date
May 5, 2017

Mattress

Woven sedge mattress from the collections of the Museum of English Rural Life, traditionally used for laying out the dead or childbirth.

A hand-written object label for a sheep bell from Devon

Looking for a specific item?

We regularly update the collections on our website. If you are after something specific that you can’t find online, please get in touch.

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