The Marshman's Year

The men and women who lived on the Broads about 100 years ago were a hardy race of people. The unique landscape of rivers, broads, marsh, and fen that work was varied and most men could turn their hand to any task.

One of their most important jobs was to look after the reed beds. You may see sedge and reed cutters at work as reed and sedge are still harvested. Today machine cutters are used but boats still carry the bundles to the state. You may even be lucky and see a thatcher at work.

January

A good hard frost at the beginning of the month and the reed harvest’s started.

February

It’s rained solidly for a while week and we haven’t cut any reed. The drainage pump is working full out to pump all this extra water off the marshes. We must be stoking a hundredweight of coal every hour. We could do with a bit of wind to help us. No wonder my back’s playing up again!

March

After work we had some good sport - eel catching. There’s always plenty about when the roach and bream are spawning. We took our eel picks and had a contest to see who could catch the most.

April

The new reeds are showing through the ground - so it’s time to stop harvesting. We’ve been cutting about 70 bundles a day. Not bad with all this rain!

May

There’s nothing like the sight of bundles of reeds stacked neatly by the water - Summer’s almost here. We’ve had some trouble with one of our boats which was taking in water but we’ve got it mended now.

June

Sedge harvesting started this month. Took a day off to go to the local fair. Had another day off to recover!

July

Still cutting the sedge. We’ve started harvesting the marsh hay. This year it’s a good crop, so there’ll be plenty of fodder for the cattle. And there’ll be enough poor stuff for thatching of the corn stacks next month. Old Bill Hewitt can have some of this ‘sheaf’ for covering his potatoes.

August

Had to clear out the dykes so we could get the marsh hay to the stithies. They were so clogged with mud and weed that not even the shallowest boat could get through.

September

Took some time off to repair the thatch on one of the farm buildings on the estate.

October

Pulled out the small bushes which grow up on the fens. If we didn’t pull them out the reed beds would disappear and our livelihood with them!

November

Send my son to Constable Leggett with a couple of nice duck. That should make him turn a blind eye to my bit of sport!

December

The reed harvest comes round again. We started two days after Christmas. It’s just as well we spent the last few weeks overhauling the boats and sharpening our scythes.