This year’s Northern Scythe Festival took place on a new site in the Forest of Bowland. The festival field was on a farm nestled up in the hills with great views out to the coast, including in the distance, Blackpool tower. The participants who came were treated to unlimited quantities of lovely lush Lancashire grass Read more about Northern Scythe Festival Results[…]
This year’s Green Scythe Fair and 16th West Country scythe competition was all good: the weather was good, the grass was good to mow, and gathering back the scythe community after three years absence, was more than good. There were smiles a plenty, and not just from winners of competitions. The standout image from the Read more about Green Scythe Fair Championship Report 2022[…]
ON July 24th we had a blistering hot day at Blackhaugh farm for this years festival, over 200 people came along! By 9.30 most of the competition squares had been prepared, the signs were all in place, structures up and the chairs and straw bales were ready for play and use. Food vans were up Read more about The Scottish Scything Festival 2021[…]
This Hay Meadow festival was held on Saturday 24 July 2021 behind the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre (run by the Charity GROW COOK LEARN) where there are 30 acres of meadows beside the Onny river. The meadow selected for the festival and scything competition was uneven, lumpy ground with dense, wiry vegetation including dock, lady’s Read more about Shropshire Hills Hay Meadow Festival Report[…]
A report by Jim McVittie. The Site Peter Blackwell farms at Bell Sykes farm near Slaidburn in the Forest of Bowland AONB and thanks to the efforts of himself, his father and his grandfather has some of the best wild-flower meadows in Lancashire. Peter had allocated the whole of a four acre field which gently Read more about Northern Scythe Competition 2021[…]
12th -13th June 2021 Thorney Lakes, Muchelney, Somerset.The aim of this gathering was to bring together SABI committee members, scythe event hosts and volunteers, scythe instructors and leading scythe competitors; to share their experiences and plan for future events. This workshop was restricted to 30 participants by covid necessity. Saturday started soon after sunrise with Read more about SABI Somerset Green Scythe Workshop Report[…]
The last weekend of July 2019 saw the first ever Scottish Scything Festival take place at Blackhaugh Community Farm in Perthshire. 120 people, including 20 or so children gathered for a day of talks, demonstrations, taster sessions, scythe sales and of course a scything competition. The afternoon’s competition had 29 entrants and in spite of Read more about Scottish Scything Festival Results 2019[…]
Mowers faced typical Somerset level grass at the Green scythe fair this year: lush and heavy! The grass cut easily enough, as shown by the decent times recorded by mowers in the 5 x 5 metre plots. The main challenge competitors faced was partially laid grass pushed in a variety of directions by the Read more about Green Scythe Fair Championship results 2019[…]
5 x 5 metre Results George Montague’s astonishing performance made him the clear undisputed champion for 2017. He mowed his plot in just 40 seconds! His time, breaking the one minute barrier, is a festival record time, and a personal best for George (George having mown a 1 minute time in 2013). Kevin’s time at one minute equals this Read more about West Country Scythe Festival Competition Results 2017[…]
5 x 5 metre Results As in last year year’s final only seconds separated the three fastest mowers. Kevin Austin emerged as the new undisputed champion with both the fastest time and best quality of the three. Mark Allery proved the English scythe by coming third; very close to former champion Simon Damant’s second place. Ladies Champion Andi Rickard was only just behind Read more about 12th West Country Scythe Festival Competition Results 2016[…]