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Photographs

Sheep shearing

The rearing of sheep is an important part of the Welsh rural economy. The annual shearing the sheep for their fleece has been part of the farming year since they were introduced into Britain some 5-6,000 years ago. These photographs from the Watkins collection show stages in the hand shearing process together with sheep washing

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Hurdle Making

The production of hurdle for fencing has a long history throughout which the basic technique has stayed the same. The photographs in the Watkins collection illustrate the method used in the first part of the twentieth century to create hurdles using split willow rods taken from coppiced trees. Modern skilled hurdle craftsmen can make 3

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Horses on the Farm

Until the invention of steam ploughing in the 1850’s, the only source of energy for agriculture was human or animal muscle power. Oxen, sometimes cows, was more frequently used in the medieval period, but later more efficient heavy horses became available. The Watkins photographic collection in The Radnorshire Society Archive has a number of excellent

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