Scythes have often been looked upon as tools from yesteryear and only seen in the Poldark TV series or the paintings of John Constable, but Canal & River Trust (CRT) would beg to differ as volunteers are now being trained to use these traditional tools to cut grass, vegetation and weeds in a quiet, practical and sustainable manner.
Ellesmere Canal Yard hummed, not with the sound of motors running but with the chatter of volunteers as they realised that scything is not quite as straightforward as they first thought.
Simon Tomlin, the scythe instructor said,
“Of course, Scythe matters – the scythe is all but forgotten by many people but luckily, not by me. I’ve been at it for many years now and can hopefully show others the great advantages, possibilities and just the sheer pleasure of mowing with a scythe. It seems to me to be the perfect tool for working on the Monty canal and I will be down to check their work in the spring, next year”.
Jenny Spelling, CRT ecologist looking after the Montgomery canal said,
“I did the course myself and now feel it is the future for rural groups as there is not really a downside, scythes are portable, economic, and volunteers like to use them so it’s great from all angles. And, of course, they’re also good for the planet”.
While the Montgomery canal is being restored near Crickheath, the nature reserves and parts of the line of the canal have been left to their own devises to a certain extent so groups of volunteers have taken on the task of maintaining these areas. A group called Tramps has been working in the Welshpool area for many years, but the nature reserves near Oswestry have only just been adopted by a relatively new group, the Aston Crew.
If you’d like to be part of this journey into the future whilst referencing the past, just contact Canal & River Trust.
Featured image: Grin reapers
