Object number
52/82
Collection
Description
This is a thatching bat, also known as a leggett, for use on a roof thatched with Norfolk reed. It was made for the thatching exhibition at the Festival of Britain in 1951. It is made of wood, with a square head with cross grooves. A thatcher uses a bat to drive spars (also known as 'spicks') into thatch in order to secure it, and also for driving up the ends of the straw to obtain a smooth finish to the eaves.
Physical description
1 Thatcher's bat: wood; good condition
Archival history
Object research project, Jenny Knight, November 2018 – ‘This thatcher’s bat is made of wood and measures 24.1cm x 18.4cm (length and width). The handle is 35.6cm long. There are metal screw fixings where the handle attaches. It has a square head with cross shaped grooves. This particular bat was made for display in the thatching exhibition at the Festival of Britain in 1951. A thatching bat was also known as a leggett. This style of bat was for use on a roof thatched with Norfolk reed. Norfolk reed is regarded as the best material for thatching. It is usually harvested from December, and used to be cut by hand using scythes and sickles. Thatching bats are used in the process of fixing the reeds to the roof. The reed bundles would be attached to the roof timbers, sometimes with battens laid across the roof, or to previously existing thatch. The thatcher would then work from the eaves to the ridge in overlapping courses, securing the reeds with a thatching nail or “crook”. In earlier times twine was used extensively to secure each course to the battens. As each section of reed was fixed, the thatcher used the bat to “beat up” the reeds to fix them firmly into place and to ensure a smooth finish. The bat is driven up against the ends of the reeds to achieve this. Thatching bats used for Norfolk reed would usually have nails driven into the head, rather than the cross grooves as seen on this bat. The shape, or nails, would both prolong the life of the bat and aid the pressure on the reeds. Where different thatching materials such as long straw or combed wheat reed are used, techniques and terminology differ slightly. Collection Festival of Britain Straw Crafts Covering dates approx 1900 - 1949'
Production date
1900-01-01 - 1949-12-31
Production period
Twentieth century, first half
Object name
Material
Associated subject
