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Broom Making
A Brief History Brooms have been used for centuries to sweep caves, cabins and castles. Tree branches and brush were often used to sweep the floor and clean the ashes from the fireplaces. Sometimes a crude brooms were fashioned by tying something on a stick or handle: straw, hay, fine twigs or corn husks. These crude brooms did not sweep well and fell apart after a short time, even though strong linen twine was often used.
Besom brooms, which are demonstrated at many of our shows, are made from the twiggy growth of the birch tree, and so the craft was particularly strong in areas where birch coppices abounded.
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.
