Author Archives: stevetomlin

Hay Time at Hebden Bridge 2024

Hay Time at High Hirst Sunday 21st July – Sunday 4th August 2024 Experienced and/or enthusiastic scythers – and especially SABI members! – are keenly invited to help us mow our whole meadow this year. Join us for a day … Continue reading

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Spalted birch eating spoon with ball finial

In between teaching courses, I’ve been doing a little spoon carving with some gorgeous spalted silver birch. The patterning in the grain makes each spoon beautifully unique with natural decoration. On this teardrop shape eating spoon, I carved a ball … Continue reading

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Scything course review 2024

Lovely review from Caroline who was part of the group learning to scythe on my workshop in Cumbria. Thanks for an absolutely brilliant course on Saturday – it’s one of the best things I’ve done in ages and having worked … Continue reading

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What’s the best scythe for a beginner?

Whether it’s for controlling the nettles and other weeds around your allotment, clearing an overgrown patch of garden or larger-scale mowing in a meadow or orchard, the Austrian scythe is a wonderful tool to use. I always sell scythes as a … Continue reading

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Beginners scything course in Cumbria

Summer is finally here and I enjoyed a sunny day with this group at Brigflatts Meeting House in Sedbergh, Cumbria. I’ve been teaching scything courses for beginners at this site for 10 years now and it’s always a treat to … Continue reading

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Hay Rake making workshop in Staffordshire

An action-packed day with Groundwork West Midlands teaching a group how to make wooden hay rakes at Silverdale Country Park. We started by cleaving a green ash log for the rake heads and stripping the bark off some straight hazel … Continue reading

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Manchester meadows

Another damp day didn’t spoil a great Learn to Scythe course at Highfield Country Park in Manchester. Local volunteers came to learn and help manage the ‘meadow rooms’ that we’re creating on the site. There’s a growing Manchester scything scene … Continue reading

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Yellow rattle in urban meadow

I’ve been working with some local volunteers at Highfield Country Park in Levenshulme, Manchester to manage a few areas to try and create small meadows to enhance the biodiversity. Last autumn, we sowed yellow rattle seed which I’d collected from … Continue reading

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Scything workshop in Lancashire sunshine

A sunny day and another lovely group on my Learn to Scythe workshop this weekend at Bell Skyes in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire. Especially gratifying for me to have Adam in the group who introduced himself as ‘the reluctant … Continue reading

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Learn to Scythe book

If youve taken part in No Mow May 2024 or are interested in creating a wildflower meadow, you may be thinking about buying an Austrian scythe. I always recommend that people attend a scythe workshop to learn the best way … Continue reading

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