Besom Broomsticks
 

A Besom Broom is a broom made from twigs and wood and is the traditional broomstick of witches :cheerful:

It is also a great broom for clearing Autumn leaves from your lawn !

The craft of Besom broom making is a very old one and by all accounts has seen a revival of interest due to the Harry Potter films :D !

Besom is pronounced Beezum and there's a very nice glimpse into the history of besom making on this page of Peaklandheritage

Museums 24 has a good article on Adam King one of the UKs Woodland crafters ~ Learn to make Broomsticks .. his own website is www.adamking.co.uk
Please note that the date on the Museums24 article is 2003

Contact your local Tourist board website to find out what Woodland craft fairs are being held in your area.


Have a go at making paper/card or twig besoms with the children and see who can sweep up/move around a pile of fallen leaves the quickest :cheerful:

they make these in Tadley, hants. just up the road. really old tradition