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A maul is a club-like tool used in hedge-laying as a mallet to drive stakes into the ground. This maul is made of elm and belonged to a farmer in Elmstone Hardwicke, Gloucestershire.

1 maul: wood [elm]; good condition

Citation in publication [H. J. Massingham, 'Country Relics' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1939)] –' This hedge maul is nothing less than a club of elm-wood about 4ft. long, worn with many mighty thwackings and used as a beetle or mallet for driving in the stakes along the headgerow before or after the hedge has been "plashed" or "pleached". This is one of the oldest words in the language and occurs more than once in Shakespear...The maul I have came from Elmstone Hardwick and was given to me by Mr J.P. Yeend, a farmer there....[page break] So my antique-looking maul came from a place where quick hedges appeared later than anywhere else in the country except Westcote, not far from Burford...From a club it became a wand that roused his kindliest feelings. The maul has gone and nothing has taken its place, the stakes being driven in nowadays with the back of the axe, which has become even more necessary than of old by the growth, through neglect, of hedge saplings into indifferently grown trees.' (pp. 47-48) [see also pp. 51], MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'This maul belonged to Mr. J. P. Yeend, a farmer of Elmstone Hardwicke (Glos.). It is a club of elm wood, used as a mallet for driving stakes into the ground along the hedgerow before and after the hedge has been pleached. Nowadays, the blade of an axe is used for the job instead of a maul. // In laying a hedge, the first task is clearance, and the saplings which have grown too big have their side twigs and branches sliced off. Then they are chopped down until they are only attached by a tongue of wood to their bases. The hedger then pulls them down and weaves the tops in between stakes which are placed a foot or so apart. This process is called PLEACHING or PLASHING and the layers of saplings are PLEACHES, PLUSHES, or PLASHES. The work is done in sections, two at a time. Then the hedge is EDDERED or HEATHERED. This means that the hedger treads down the pleaches and binds them in and out of the tops of the stakes which are cut to about 6 inches above them, or driven in to that height. A third rod is pushed behind each stake and between the ends of the two already woven. These rods are called EDDERS. The binding gives support to the new vegetation and also holds it in check. Lastly, the ditch below the hedge is cleared. Variations in methods of hedging are found in different parts of the country, and also occur according to the purpose of the hedge., MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, circa 1951] - 'Museum of English Rural Life // Equipment to be loaned to the Cotswold Tradition Exhibition // Cat Ref. No.: // 51/183 M // [tick] Hedger's Maul [Cleaned] [tick] ...', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, circa 1951] - '[insert] MASSINGHAM FILE [end insert] // THE COTSWOLD TRADITION // AN EXHIBITION AT CIRENCESTER PARK // MAY-SEPTEMBER 1951 ... // RECEIPT. // Received with gratitude the following articles, collected from Reading University on the 29th April, 1951: // ... Hedger's Maul. ... // Loaned by The Massingham Collection.', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, October 1989] – 'ACC. NO.: 51/183 // NAME: MAUL // NEG NO.: 35/213 // STORAGE: P. Ex. [Permanent Exhibition] Drainage.'