Reed cutting in Dorset

The reedcutter handharvests

There are many reedbeds in Dorset with some close to the coast and others inland providing a sanctuary to birdlife. Reedcutting is an ancient craft and goes hand in hand with thatching. Reeds are cut in the winter between December and April with the use of a hook or a scythe. Reeds are cut just above ground level and bundled into the size of three hand spans. The reeds are raked to clear out debris and then tied. A bundle is knocked up on a board until the reeds form a tight bundle.

The bundles are stacked and sold by the bundle for use in the thatching industry as shown in the film at East Prawle. Reedcutters work with nature and regular cutting helps maintain the reedbeds and its delicate ecosystem. Reeds may come from straw,water reed, sedge or rushes. Thatch is not as flammable as people think, it actually burns slowly, like a closed book. Thatch was virtually the only roofing material in the English countryside until the commercialisation of Welsh slate from 1820.