Scything

A 60-SECOND INSIGHT INTO A NEW PERSONAL CHALLENGE

By CLARE GOGERTY

ONE OF THE LESS HARMONIOUS sounds of summer is the irksome buzz and rattle of the strimmer. If you have a patch of grass or an allotment, or live next to either, you will know this only too well. What you may not know, however, is that there is a peaceful, ecofriendly alternative: the Austrian scythe. (Do not confuse with the Old English scythe, as wielded by a bare-chested Aidan Turner in Poldark. An Austrian scythe has a lighter blade and is used primarily on grass.) Beth Tilston, above, a champion of this useful tool, runs courses from a meadow in Sussex where participants learn how to set up, handle, sharpen and peen (adjust the edge or profile of ) a scythe. The technique is to stand with legs slightly bent…

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The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, August 2016 - Issue 50

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