"Bodgers and Besoms"
Year 4 investigate local history in the woods around Ambleside
"Bodgers and
Besoms"
Year 4 investigate local history in the woods around Ambleside
"Make your own broomstick"
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To make your own Besom (another name for a broomstick) you need to gather up the right kind of materials. They had to be springy, young and easy to collect. The perfect local tree is Silver Birch, which can be identified by it's silver bark. The springy twigs are used for the brush part and the handles are made from thin branches of hazel, ash or lime. These are our materials from a Silver Birch that was felled by the National Trust. |
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We are touching the twigs to make sure that they are springy enough to use. We don't want ones that break or sag. |
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To make the brush you collect up a surprising amount of twigs and hold them together tightly. The National Trust brought a special machine for this job with a long handle. |
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We used a wire twister to tie up the bunch of twigs tightly. It was a very clever machine. In the olden days they would have used, string, willow or other natural materials. |
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You then need to make a sharp point on the part that will become the handle. You can use a special one sided axe called a side axe or a Billock. |
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Here you can see how all the twigs used for the brush are cut to the same length. |
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You push the sharp end of your handle through the middle of all the twigs. You hammer it down until it stick in solidly. |
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That's it. You are ready to brush up some leaves! or go for a fly around (if you are a witch!!) |
