68/100

A model of a wattle hurdle with ten uprights. It was made for an exhibition in Whiteknights House at the University of Reading.

Small sample hurdle made of wattle.

MERL ‘Handwritten Catalogue’ form – ‘MODEL // 68/100 // CRAFTS Wood wattle hurdles // Made for display in Whiteknigths House. // [pencil drawing].’, Object research project, John Masters, January 2020 - 'How can this object be described? // This is a small panel (66 x 31 cm) made of woven wood. It is a model of a Wattle Hurdle. // What is a Wattle Hurdle? // Wattle has a long history in Britain, with woven hazel or willow panels found in the Somerset Levels where it was laid down by Neolithic ancestors as track ways, used in Iron Age huts for walls, and wattle fencing was common by Middle Ages. From the Middle Ages onwards, wattle hurdles were mainly used as a portable fencing panel for penning sheep when grazing, being dipped, or being sheared, and offered protection from wind and rain at lambing time. They were intended to be lightweight so that several could be carried over the shoulder. Wattle hurdles were primarily used in southern England where there was very little stone or sufficient timber growth for building folds and fences. Hurdles were often used to shore up trenches in both World Wars. Wattle hurdles are also used in hedges and river restoration. They are an environmentally friendly way of adding strength to riverbanks to stop erosion and create a living space for wild plants and animals. // By the mid-late twentieth century, wattle hurdles for sheep were replaced by lambing sheds, wire mesh, metal frame panels and electric fences, but new markets have been found for wattle hurdles as garden screens and fencing panels, with thousands of wattle screens still sold every year. However, many of these panels are made by machine rather than by the traditional hurdle maker. // The Heritage Crafts Association Red List identifies traditional Hurdle Making as an endangered craft and the Coppice Products website lists just 50 British makers of hazel wattle hurdles, 21 makers of willow wattle hurdles, and 46 makers of gate hurdles although the output and skill level of each maker is not known. // Use of models as exhibits in MERL. // This model of a wattle hurdle was made for a demonstration in Whiteknights House in the 1960s. Models are used when it is more practical to use them rather than full size exhibits. Also, some models in the MERL collection were teaching aids used within the university and have since been passed over to MERL. // Making a wattle hurdle. // Wattle hurdles are usually made from hazel rods which are cut on a 5 to 7-year rotation. The basic wattle hurdle is 6ft long by 3.5ft high, woven around ten uprights or zales to give a tight weave. The last two zales at either end are longer so that adjacent hurdles can be overlapped and fixed to a post. A gap (’twilley hole’) can be left in the weave between the centre two zales, through which the shepherd would pass a stick in order to carry the hurdle on his back, and ten sharpened feet project at the bottom to grip soft ground. Twilley holes are not commonly found on modern wattle hurdles. // Shaping the zales: The zales and finishing rods are cut to length using a narrow-bladed spar hook. (A spar hook is a small billhook). The end zales are left round and the rest are split centrally. The zales are sharpened to a straight point and placed in the mould. Weaving the bottom: This is the most important part of the weaving. Two long thin rods are selected and inserted at right angles to one another in the gap between the first and second zales. Another pair is inserted in the next gap. These are known as ‘spur rods’ and are never cleaved. Taking each spur rod in turn, the craftsman twists and weaves them in between the zales to produce the bottom ten inches of the hurdle. When the bottom has been firmly laid, the rods are trimmed by knife. // Weaving the central part: The rest of the weaving is done using cleft hazel. Each piece is tucked into the woven bottom and woven between the zales. To make the ‘twilley hole’ two uncleft rods, similar to spur rods, are inserted in the weave and twisted round the end zales. Once the twilley is in place, the rest of the hurdle is woven. // Finishing off: Finally, two or three uncleft rods are taken and woven around the zales. The hurdle is trimmed and the loose ends removed, and then the hurdle is taken off the mould. The hurdles are stored flat on top of each other and left to season. // Willow is also used to make wattle panels. However, if willow panels are left in the same place for an extended period, they can take root and start to grow. This can make a hedge or fence stronger and will be attractive, but it may then need regular trimming. // Gate hurdles // Gate hurdles are a form of open hurdle, usually made from sweet chestnut or ash, to be used as a portable fencing panel primarily for penning sheep. Some were used for penning pigs and larger ones were even used to contain young bullocks at sales. Gate hurdles were intended to be lightweight so that several could be carried over the shoulder, but also robust enough to withstand rough treatment – they would be knocked into the ground with heavy blows and used repeatedly. // Wattle and daub // Another use of wattle is as a building material. Wattle and daub is a composite building method used for making walls and buildings, in which a woven wattle lattice of wooden strips is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and/or straw. Wattle and daub has been used for at least 6,000 years and is still an important construction method in many parts of the world. // Tools of the hurdle maker // The hurdle maker’s main tools are : Block (also known as frame or mould). This is a 6 feet long piece of wood with vertical holes (typically 10) for the uprights or zales to be held in. // Billhook. Many hurdle makers used just one billhook as a multipurpose tool – chopper, cleaving tool, mallet and, when held by the back of the blade, a knife. // Billhooks come in a very wide variety of blade designs.'

1960-01-01 - 1969-12-31

1960s

Hurdle, Model