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Besom broom making: Besom brooms are made from the twiggy growth of the birch tree, and so the craft was particularly strong in areas where birch coppices abounded.

Besom broom maker

The villages of Baughurst and Tadley on the Hampshire/Berkshire border were particularly well known for their besom production. In other parts of the country, such as North Wales and Yorkshire, birch was frequently substituted by heather. Marrum grass has also been occasionally used.

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Besom broom making

 

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The Museum of English Rural Life, University of Reading, UK.
Email: merl@reading.ac.uk Telephone: 0118 378 8660