Object number
80/73
Description
Thatching bat or leggett, for use on a roof thatched with combed wheat reed.
This is a thatching bat, also known as a leggett, for use on a roof thatched with combed wheat reed. Nothing is known of its origins. A thatcher uses a bat to dress the reed/straw into place and ensure an even finish; and the head of the bat is usually treated in some way so as to catch the ends of the reed/straw. This wooden bat has a flat head with diagonal grooves, and a nail protruding from the back of the head which acts as a hook by which the bat can be secured to the thatch when not in use.
Physical description
1 leggett: wood [ash and elm] and metal [iron]; fair condition: woodworm
Archival history
MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Institute of Agricultural History) – ‘Description: A leggett with a handle of ash set into a rectangular block of elm (?). The block has grooves which run diagonally to the face. A small strip of iron strengthens the join between handle and block, and a nail has been driven through to the back surface to act as a hook. // Dimensions: overall length 55 cms // rectangular block 20 x 18 x 4 cms // Associated information: The leggett is used in reed thatching to dress the butt ends of the reeds upwards, this tightened the face of the thatch and left only the last inch or so of the butts exposed to the weather. Leggetts with diagonal grooves such as this one are used in the West Country for combed wheat reed. // Most leggetts are provided with hooks on their back surface so that they can be readily hooked into the thatched roof when not in use. // References: M. Billet, ‘Thatching and thatched buildings’ 1979’
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Material
Associated subject
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_14253.tif - High resolution image
