Hay Time

Horse drawn mowing machine from the 1930s.

Midsummer brought hay time. The grass was cut as early in the morning as possible because an insect called a cleg used to bite the horses in the heat of the day and they were unable to work.

Margaret and Bob Edgar with their horse drawn hayrake, 1930s

Hay time was another time of hard labour as so much depended on the weather. Every day before mowing began the mowing machine knives had to be sharpened.  They were triangular steel teeth which needed two sides ground on a circular grindstone.  As the wheel was turned water was poured onto the grinding stone.

Bringing in a load of loose hay. Ida Pearson with son John, driving the Farmall
tractor, and cousin Raymond. Plasketlands, 1950s.

After the grass was cut, sun and wind was needed to dry it.  It was then raked into rows using a horse drawn rake, separated and forked into haycocks which were about a yard high - small heaps that could be forked to the person loading the cart. In wet weather the haycocks had to be dispersed to let the hay dry.  This meant extra work and poorer quality hay.

Haytime at Edderside. Wilf, Fanny Carrick and Winnie Jefferson

Corn and Haystacks.

Corn and haystacks had to be constructed by a certain method otherwise they collapsed.  The heads of the corn went into the middle of the stack, making a circle as the sheaves were forked from the cart to the person making the stack.  The stacks were made after much hard labour in the field.

John Nattrass at Mawbray, 1925. Note corn stacks and
horse cart with shelvings to carry a larger load.

Adapted from 'Plain People'
Holme St Cuthbert History Group, 2004.