New generation being trained in age-old skill used in Britain for hundreds of years

A new team of volunteer scythers are being trained to help restore historic meadows and support one of Britain’s rarest bee species, according to English Heritage.

The charity is reviving the centuries-old tradition of “roaming scythers”, who once travelled between meadows using traditional hand tools to cut grass and hay.

In return for their work, they were often rewarded with food and drink such as bread, cheese and cider.

The newly established volunteer team, made up largely of young people, is using these traditional grass-cutting methods to manage the meadow at English Heritage’s Muchelney Abbey in Somerset.

The site is one of the few remaining places in Britain where the rare shrill carder bee can be found.

The work forms part of a wider project aimed at supporting the declining species.

English Heritage is working with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust on a three-year project designed to improve the bee’s habitat.

The shrill carder bee has experienced significant population declines, largely due to the loss of flower-rich grasslands that provide an important source of food and shelter.

As part of the project, English Heritage volunteers have also received training from the Trust to conduct detailed wildlife surveys.

These surveys will monitor the relationship between the bees and their meadow habitat, including which flowers are available, and which plants are being visited by the bees.

The volunteer scything team has been trained by Exmoor National Park Authority.

Once established, members will travel to selected English Heritage sites across Somerset to explore how traditional scything can be combined with modern meadow management techniques to support wildlife.

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The first group of volunteers has completed training, and is now qualified to teach others the traditional skill.

In keeping with the historic practice, the volunteers will receive bread and cheese as a “payment” for their work, English Heritage said.

Ginny Slade, volunteer and community engagement manager, said scything demonstrates how traditional skills can continue to play a useful role in tackling modern environmental challenges.

She said the project aims to create diverse, flower-rich habitats for pollinators, while also protecting traditional knowledge and skills that have helped shape Britain’s landscapes over many centuries.

Muchelney Abbey was once a wealthy and influential monastery.

Its meadow is among 100 sites that English Heritage pledged to create or improve in 2023 to mark the coronation of the King.