Forged steel with hole for wooden handle (missing). Spike to base of cylinder and sliding disc to release soil. 30.25 inches (77cms) x 4 inches (10.5cms).

English. Early 20C. ‘Monkey Digger’ 6 inch. Reference: CGA year book 1936. Sold in 3 sizes 6, 9 and 12 inch diameter for digging post holes. Ref: Rice Bros Ltd Oxted. ‘Post Hole Borer’. L 43.5 inches (110.5cms) x Dia 5.5 inches (14cms).

Forged steel. Pierced cylinder at base to rotate with steel handle. 32.25 inches (82cms) x 8 inches (20.5cms).

English. C1900. Straw construction. Often placed in groups on brick or stone stands. Hole at bottom to allow access. Subimage shows original Welsh stone stand reconstructed at St Fagan’s Museum Cardiff. H 10 inches (25.5cms) x Dia 15 inches (38cms).

Wooden top and turnkey for access. H 9 inches (23cms) x Dia 15 inches (38cms).

Internal crossmembers. Wooden carrying knop. Tilted on stone to allow bees access. H 17.5 inches (44.5cms) x Dia 17.5 inches (44.5cms).

English. C1900. Steel tripartite pointed blade pierced by 4 tiny holes. Stamped ‘C M Skelton & Co. Sheffield. + ‘S’. Ash T-handle. 38.25 inches (97cms) x 8.5 inches (21.5cms).

English. 19C. Ash D-handle with considerable woodworm. Mule Spade or Fork. For digging heavy clay soil. 38 inches (96.7cms) x 6.25 inches (16cms).

English. C1900. Hand forged steel 3 prong blade and ash D-handle. 39.5 inches (110.5cms) x 9.5 inches (24cms).

English. 1910. Phillip’s patent ‘Acme Diagonal Digger’. Ref: Baxendale & Co Manchester. 1910. p8. but with T Handle not D as shown.

English. C 1950. ’99-9′ Trial 6D. pack of Soluble Blood Manure. By ‘Abundance’. 4.25 inches (10.8cms) x 2.25 inches x 0.75 inches.

Placard at St Fagans Museum Cardiff describing smithy and it’s activity in relation to tool making.

Foreign. 5 tine hand cultivator pressed from light gauge sheet steel. Hollow steel copy of older English and French models. Stamped ‘Foreign’. 10.5 inches (26.8cms).

English. C1900. 5 claw wrought steel Hand Cultivator with later beech handle. 12.5 inches (32cms).

20C. Small 4 pronged steel head with traces red paint set into beech mid length handle. 17.25 inches (44cms).

20C. 2 position detachable head Hoe/Rake hand weeder or Cultivator with locking peg on chain. Mid length beech handle. 19.75 inches (50.3cms).

English 20C. ‘Sydenham’s Unique Pot Rake’. 3 pronged steel blade and ebony scales with 3 steel rivets. 6.7 inches (17cms).

English. C 1950. Steel 2 prong steel plate with socket and traces orange paint. Ash handle faint trace of silver paint. 17.5 inches (44.5cms).

English. 20C. 5 prong cast head with traces red paint. Beech handle traces black paint. 20.5 inches (52cms).

English. 20C. 3 tined steel head with short hardwood handle. Weeds with twisting action. 9.5 inches (24cms).

English. 20C. 2 position detachable head Hoe/Rake hand weeder or Cultivator with spring activated locking peg. See similar ‘AH’. Mid length beech handle. 15.8 inches (40cms).

English. 20C. Long handled 3 tined cultivator. Ash handle. 35 inches (90cms).

New Zealand. Spintiller head. 2 pairs of five pronged steel bladed spinners. Traces orange paint. Mounted on socket stamped ‘Spintiller. Cultivator. Patent appl for. No.164560. New Zealand.  L 12 inches (30cms).

English. 19C. Wrought iron 3 prong head. 18 inches (46cms).

Multi tine Soil Scarifier with 2 part steel head. Long ash handle. 67.7 inches (172.3cms).

English. 20C. Single wheel Cultivator. 8 Rotating curved steel tines. 59.5 inches (151cms) x Dia 9.75 inches (25cms).

C 1900. 3 fine prongs. Wrought iron and ash. 29 inches (73.8cms) x 3.25 inches (8.4cms).

English. C1950. Steel 5 prong with waisted beech handle. Traces red paint. 9.25 inches (23.5cms) x 2.25 inches (5.7cms).

Steel and beech. 4 tines with braces. ‘Patent’. Traces of black paint. 13.75 inches (34.7cms) x 4 inches (10.2cms).

Steel and ash. 21.5 inches (54.5cms) x 3 inches (7.8cms).

3 pronged steel with traces of red paint. Beech handle. 10.5 inches (26.7cms) x 3.75 inches (9.5cms).

English. c1900. Stamped ‘P V’. Steel and beech with brass ferrule. 10 inches (25cms).

English. Early to mid 20C. Toogood & Sons. Southampton. Steel and beech. 9.5 inches (24cms) x 3 inches (7.5cms).

20C. 3 claw hollow handle construction in steel with traces of yellow and red paint. 9 inches (23cms).

Hollow handled pressed steel 5 pronged blade. Traces of black paint. 10.25 inches (26.2cms) x 3.25 inches (8.3cms).

English. ‘S—KO’ England. Steel with traces of red paint. 6 fine sprung tines. Beech handle. 20.25 inches (51.5cms) x 3.25 inches (8.2cms).

English. 20C. Spring loaded Folding Trowel/Fork. Steel with coil spring. Traces blue paint. 10 inches (25.5cms) extended x 3 inches (7.3cms).

English. C1950. Brades 4 tine steel with riveted strapping stamped ‘Brades’& Co 743’. Ash D-handle with single rivet. Working lifetime property of North London gentleman along with Spade AV and Hoe U. 41.25 inches (105cms) x 8 inches (20cms).

English. 20C. 3 tine steel with ash T-handle. 34 inches (86cms).

English. Early 20C. Border Fork. Strapped 5 tine head and ash D-handle with applied brass plaque ‘Quality. Timothy White. Guaranteed’. D also studded with steel nail heads forming ‘F W’. 38.7 inches (99cms).

19C. Ladies garden Fork. 3 prong wrought iron construction with ring handle. 36.8 inches (93.8cms).

French. 19C. Fine wrought steel headed 2 prong Fork on probably later ash shaft. 52.5 inches (133.5cms).

French. 19C. Clay Fork. Wrought iron 2 wide prong head Stamped ‘D’ or ‘C’. Chestnut waisted shaft possibly later with lettering burned in ‘Marchal’. 43 inches (109cms). An unusual finding for this country of manufacture.

French 19C. Clay Fork. Beche-Fourche. Wrought iron with lateral foot step. Original chestnut handle with long splits and worm. 56.75 inches (144cms).

English. Mid 20C. Spear and Jackson Long Handled Weeding Fork. Steel 3 prong head with traces red paint stamped ‘ Spear & Jackson. Made in England. Sheffield’. Tapered shaped ash handle. 54.3 inches (157.5cms).

English. 20C. Stamped on strapping ‘Brades773. Made in England’. 32.75 inches (83cms) x 5.25 inches (13.2cms).

English. Early 20C. Very short Fork for weeding flowerbeds.Steel 4 square section tines with traces black paint and ash D-handle with pins through. Stamped ‘Neverbend. Spear & Jackson. Made in England’. 23.5 inches (59.6cms) x 6.75 inches (17cms).

3 steel tines welded on Y support. Steel 3 part T-handle. Pitch pine shaft. 46 inches (117cms) x 5.5 inches (13.8cms).

Please contact us if you require further information.

French. 20C. 4 tines welded to shaped steel tube and ash Y-handle. 39.5 inches (100cms).

English. ‘Albert Products. Ladies or boys border fork. 4 steel tines red painted. Ash handle. 36.5 inches (93cms).

3 tine on right angle to socket. Quality tool in good condition. Ash handle. 54 inches (137cms).

19C. Steel Pronged Fork. Head. 15.5 inches (39.3cms) x 7.8 inches (20cms). Fork common usage commenced as late as 1860’s. First mention and illustration of ‘Fork’ was in John Evelyn’s Elysium Brittanicum’ between 1650 and 1706.

English. 20C. 3 tine die cast aluminium head stamped ‘Bunny. Pat Appd For. Made in England’. Long beech handle fitted into socket with 1 retaining screw. 54.75 inches (131.5cms) x 3 inches (7.5cms).

English. Early 20C. 4 short tine Weeding Fork with ash D-handle. 33.5 inches (88.5cms) x 6.75 inches (17cms).

English. 3 Steel tines. Farnham Hop Fork. Ash D-handle with reinforcing pin. This fork was used in hop cultivation as a hop bine manure fork. 40 inches (102cms) x 9.75 inches (24.7cms).

English. C1900. Clay Fork or Spade. 2 prong steel Fork. Ash handle with T-grip. For lifting wet clay soil. Stamped on strap ‘Yardley with Elephant Logo’. 43.75 inches (111cms) x 6.5 inches (24.1cms).

English Mid 20C. Terrex Fork by Wolf Tools. Green painted steel with plastic hand grip. Sprung digging lever. Labelled ‘Terrex’. 47.75 inches (121.5cms) x 23 inches (58.5cms).

English 20C. Border Fork. Steel with logo ‘AS’ and ‘England’. Ash shaft and metal reinforced D-handle. 37.75 inches (97.5cms).

English. Mid 20C. ‘Made in England’. Steel with traces red paint and ash. 10.5 inches (26.5cms) x 3.25 inches (8.3cms).

English. 20C. Heavy duty 4 prong steel head welded to long substantial socket. Traces red paint. Ash handle. 16 inches (41cms).

English. 20C. Hand Fork constructed with 2 differing width steel semi hoops welded together and fixed to beech handle by large screw up into handle. 10.25 inches (26.3cms).

English. Circa 1950’s. 4 twist tines steel traces orange paint. Ash handle. 12.25 inches (31.2cms)

English. Mid 20C. ‘Haws’ Made in England. Aluminium with red rubber hand grip. 10.5 inches (26.8cms) x 3 inches (7.4cms).

English. Mid 20C. ‘Bunny’. Die cast aluminium with remains red paint. 11 inches (27.5cms) x 3 inches (7.5cms).

English. 20C. ‘Bunny. Made in England’. Die cast aluminium with traces yellow paint. 8 inches (20.3cms) x 2 inches (4.9cms).

English. 20C. 4 prong steel with brown varnished ash handle. 10.5 inches (27cms) x 3 inches (7.8cms).

English. 20C. 3 flat prong steel with ash handle. 9 inches (22.5cms) x 3.5 inches (8.6cms).

English. 20C. 3 flat prong steel with ash handle. ‘Brades’. 10 inches (25.5cms) x 3 inches (7.8cms).

3 prong. Bright steel and hollow handle welded laterally with traces of red paint. 11 inches (28.2cms) x 3 inches (7.7cms).

English. 20C. 4 tine steel with ash handle. Traces red paint. 10.5 inches (27cms) x 3 inches (7.5cms).

English. 20C. 3 tine steel with beech handle. 8.5 inches (21.8cms) x 2.25 inches (5.6cms).

English. Mid 20C. 4 pronged. Pressed and rolled steel. Hollow perforated handle. Traces red paint. 10.75 inches (27.5cms) x 3 inches (7.8cms). Ref: G Rice Bros Ltd of Oxted garden catalogue .

English. MId 20C. 3 steel tine with ash mid length handle. Stamped ‘Elwell’. Part original label 18.25 inches (46.3cma) x 3 inches (7.7cms).

English. Mid 20C. 3 prong steel stamped ‘Brades Co’. Mid length ash handle. 20 inches (50.7cms) x 3.5 inches (8.7cms).

English. Mid 20C. 3 steel flat angular tines. Cantilevered head and beech handle. Stamped ‘Hudstir’. 13.5 inches (34.5cms).

English. 20C. 4 prong steel twist tine with Ash handle. Stamped ‘C T Skelton & Co. Sheffield England. Made in England’. 12 inches (30.5cms).

English. 20C. . 3 steel prong flat tine head. Faux bamboo handle. Stamped ‘Tyzack & Son. England’. 9 inches (23cms).

English. Early 20C. 3 flat tine steel blade stamped ‘Obtain’. Beech handle. Very like the ‘Brades’ counterpart. Obtain was in Sheffield England10 inches (25.3cms).

English mid 20C. 3 flat tine with cantilevered stem. Beech handle. 8 inches (20.5cms).

English. Mid 20C. 4 heavy quality steel flat tines in splayed formation. Beech handle. Stamped on socket ‘Made in England. 12 inches (30.5cms).

English. Mid 20C. 4 wide twist tines, riveted and welded on to hollow steel handle formed from sheet. 9.3 inches (23.6cms).

English. Mid to late 20C. Wide stainless steel 2 pronged blade stamped ‘Strongbeam. Stainless-Inox England’. Beech handle with thumb grip. Came with matching Trowel. See Trowel AB. 9.75 inches (25cms).

English. C1950. Cast aluminium 3 prong Hand Fork with stubby prongs. Similar to the item manufactured by ‘Bunny’. 8.6 inches (22cms).

English. Mid to late 20C. 3 Bent prongs in polished aluminium. 8.8 inches (22.5cms).

USA. Early 20C. 3 prong steel and wood. Tines flattened with socket. ‘Diamond Edge’. Shapleigh Hardware Co. St Louis. 12 inches (30.5cms) x 3.75 inches (9.7cms).

English. 20C. Beech. 9.25 inches (23.5cms) x 3.25 inches (8.3cms).

English. Early 20C. 3 flat prong steel blade stamped ‘Brades 630’. Beech handle. 9.75 inches (25cms).

English. Early 20C. Steel 4 twist tine socket and stubby ash knop. 11.5 inches (29cms).

English. 20C. ‘Brades Co 642’. 3 steel tines and varnished ash handle. 17.75 inches (45.3cms) x 3.25 inches (8cms).

English. Mid 20C. 4 twist tine steel with beech handle. ‘Nash Tyzack Industries Ltd. Stourbridge England. 13 inches (32.7cms) x 3 inches (7.6cms).

3 tine steel with ash handle. 10 inches (25.8cms) x 3 inches (8cms).

English. 20C. ‘Hudstir’. 3 prong steel and ash. Faint traces of green paint. 7.75 inches (19.8cms) x 2 inches (5cms).

English. 20C. 4 steel twist tine and mid length beech handle. 19.5 inches (49.5cms) x 3 inches (7.6cms).

English. 20C. 3 steel tines and mid length beech handle. 15.75 inches (39.8cms) x 2.5 inches (6.5cms).

3 tine steel with beech handle. 10 inches (25.8cms) x 3 inches (7.8cms).

British. 20C. 4 tine steel with beech handle. Traces red paint. ‘British made’. 9.75 inches (24.5cms) x 3 inches (7.8cms).

4 twist tine steel with beech handle. 10.5 inches (26.5cms) x 2.75 inches (7.1cms).

English. 20C. 3 tine die cast aluminium head stamped ‘Bunny. Patt Appd For. Made in England’. Mid length beech handle fitted into socket with 1 retaining screw.

3 flat tine. All steel. Traces black paint. 9.75 inches (25cms) x 3 inches (7.2cms).

English. 20C. ‘Skelton. England’. 4 steel twist tines and beech with brass ferrule. 10.3 inches (26.3cms) x 3 inches (7.6cms).

9.25 inches (23.2cms) x 3 inches (7.7cms).

4 prong. 11 inches (28cms) x 3.75 inches (9.3cms).

English. 20C. ‘Made in England’. 4 steel twist tine and ash. 14.75 inches (37.3cms) x 3 inches (7.5cms).

3 tine forged steel and ash handle with brass ferrule. 13.75 inches (34.8cms) x 4.75 inches (11.7cms).

English. 20C. L10.5 inches (26.5cms). W 3 inches (7.7cms).

Mahogany. 4 tine. 10.5 inches (26.6cms) x 3.25 inches (8.2cms).

10.5 inches (26.5cms) x 3 inches (7.7cms).

3 flat prong brass with greed painted wood handle. 10.75 inches (27.3cms) x 2.3 inches (6cms).

Stainless steel 4 tine. 8.75 inches (22cms) x 2.75 inches (6.6cms).

English. Mid 20C. Beech handle and cantilevered stem double riveted to 3 prong steel blade. ‘Made in England’. 10.5 inches (27cms) x 3.25 inches (8.3cms).

English. 20C. Ward & Payne. Sheffield. 4 steel twist tine and beech. 12 inches (30cms) x 3 inches (7.5cms).

This is an American Hand Rake sold for the gentle woman’s market for garden use rather than for the flower seller as the name implies. It is 16 inches in length and has a finely polished mahogany handle. Dates from the late 1800’s.
This Florists Rake was made by the Excelsior Company in USA. Florists were flower growers not shops as in the UK. These tool heads were tinned. Some tin is just visible in the interstices.

English. 20C. Double ended with 5 riveted tines and pressed steel blade. Hollow steel handle. 11.5 inches (29.3cms) x 4.5 inches (11.5cms).

English. Mid 20C. 6 prong steel head assembly using 2.5 inch nails with traces green paint. Stamped ‘Made in England’. Stubby purpose made ash handle. 13 inches (33cms).

English. Mid 20C. 4 prong steel head assembly using 2.5 inch nails with traces green paint. Stamped ‘Made in England’. Stubby purpose made beech handle. 11 inches (28cms).

Lithuania. C1920. 3 prong steel hoe with angled socket. Head only. 6.25 inches (16cms).

Steel symetrical head. Ash handle. 47.4 inches (119.7cms) x 8.75 inches (22.4cms).

French. 19C. Steel angled head on socket stamped on each side of face ‘D B’. Ash bentwood handle. 32.75 inches (83cms).

French. 19C. Wrought steel blade spiked into bentwood chestnut handle. Example of Art Populaire. 26.5 inches (67.5cms).

The worlds first multitool. Today probably the most widely used gardening tool worldwide. The Mattock was in use 12,000 years ago when the first crops were gardened.

African. c1900. Oval steel blade piercing bulbous end of hardwood handle. L 17.3 inches (44cms).

English. C1900. Treen elm mattock used for ridging potatoes. Sussex. England. 22 inches (56cms).

English. 1800’s. West country. Was discovered as strawberry plough. Very small size pitted wrought iron with 3 reversible tines and adjustable wheel. Wooden handles long gone. L 61 inches (155cms) x W 18 inches (46cms) x H 29 inches (74cms).

English. Early 20C. By Ward and Payne. Stamped ‘Ward & Payne. England’ with logo. Waisted beech shaft. 43 inches (109cms) x 6.5 inches (16.5cms).

20C. Steel octagonal socket and bar with riveted tines and decorative support. Octagonal pitch pine handle. 67.5 inches (172cms) x 22.25 inches (56.5cms).The word ‘Rake’ is Anglo Saxon. They have been used for centuries for raking lawns and soil for weed removal. Originally lawn rakes were flat rather than toothed and referred to in 1706 in ‘The retir’d gardener’ as shoving irons or edging irons. They were also named ‘Rakers’. By the 19th century scrapers were used to remove worm casts and gravel from lawns.

20C. Steel socket and bar with 5 pairs of riveted U shaped teeth. Waisted ash shaft. 55.6 inches (141.4cms) x 10.5 inches (26.6cms).

English. 20C. Brass swept head with 8 teeth and socket. Steel tube construction with red painted plastic coating and cranked handle with grey rubber grip stamped ‘W’ and Wilkinson Logo. 57 inches (145cms) x 9 inches (22.5cms).
English Mid 20C. Golf bunker Rake.

Toothed bar with long fine tapering support and socket. Riveted to ash handle. 67.25 inches (171cms) x 15.25 inches (39cms).

English 20C. Tarmac Fork.

Adjustable steel head. Replacement wooden handle. 59.5 inches (151cms) x 13 inches (33cms).

French. Early 20C. Pine 4 tine. Gross woodworm infestation.

Early 20C. Steel blade and support fitted into back of short socket. Ash handle riveted into socket. 51.5 inches (131cms) x 14.75 inches (37.5cms).

English. Early 20C. Small hand Rake. Forged steel head with 7 tines stamped ‘SOLID TEETH’. Ash handle inserted into pierced socket. L 17 inches (43cms) W 4.75 inches (12cms).
The word ‘Rake’ is Anglo Saxon. They have been used for centuries for raking lawns and soil for weed removal. Originally lawn rakes were flat rather than toothed and referred to in 1706 in ‘The retir’d gardener’ as shoving irons or edging irons. They were also named ‘Rakers’. By the 19th century scrapers were used to remove worm casts and gravel from lawns.

English. 20C. 6 tine steel blade with ash handle. Stamped ‘S-C. T. Skelton & Co. Sheffield. Made in England.’ 35.25 inches (89.5cms) x 4.25 inches (10.8cms).

English. 19C. 4 prong Stone Rake with pick.
The word ‘Rake’ is Anglo Saxon. They have been used for centuries for raking lawns and soil for weed removal. Originally lawn rakes were flat rather than toothed and referred to in 1706 in ‘The retir’d gardener’ as shoving irons or edging irons. They were also named ‘Rakers’. By the 19th century scrapers were used to remove worm casts and gravel from lawns.

French. c1900. 8 flat steel tines from sheet. 45.75 inches (116cms) x 10.25 inches (26cms).

French. Childs or small Hand Rake. 4 tines. 26.5 inches ( 66.8cms) x 9.5 inches (24.1cms).

French. C1900. Solid steel swan neck socket and serrated blade cut from sheet. Ash handle. 50.5 inches (128cms) x 15.3 inches (39cms).
in the 1880’s W R Lake patented a process for cutting rake heads out of sheet steel with a socket for a wooden handle as above.

English. C1900. Steel socket and bar with 9 riveted teeth. High quality waisted beech handle. 37.5 inches (95.4cms) x 7.3 inches (18.5cms).

English. 20C. Stamped on strapping ‘Bulldog. Made in England. ENG*****Ltd’. Company still trading today. 38.5 inches (97.5cms) x 11 inches (27.7cms).

English. 20C. Soil Compactor by Brades/Skelton. 10lbs Weight cast steel head. Ash handle. 48.3 inches (122.5cms).

English. 20C. Oak head with ash pole. 63 inches (160cms).

English. Late 20C. Ladies or boys Spade. Lightweight stainless steel blade and slender ash Y-handle. 31 inches (80cms).

English. Early 20C. Rounded sharp steel blade. No cleats or shoulder to blade. This is similar to Spade R or Yam Spade. Ash T-handle with faded label. Strapping stamped with indistinct logo with letters ‘R**’. We think made for the Asian barefoot market. 42.3 inches (107.5cms).

English. C1900. Pointed steel blade formed around wooden core. Ash T-handle. Blade stamped ‘C T Skelton’. ‘S’ logo. Sheffield. and ‘Solid cast steel’. 47 inches (119.5cms)

English. C1900. Post Hole or Drainage Spade. Steel curved blade riveted onto Y-frame on strapped socket. 2 rivets to ash shaft with T-handle. 40 inches (102cms).

English. C1900. Steel blade fitted to mid length ash T-handle. Use unknown. 26 inches (66cms).

English. C1900. Drainage Spade. Narrow steel drainage blade with crude socket fitted with ash T -handle. 40.5 inches (103cms).

English. Early 20C. Suffolk. Drainage Shovel by Griffin. Steel with ash pole and long protective steel strapping.  Stamped ‘Griffin . +Logo.’  Unused condition. 92 inches (232cms).

English. Early 20C. Suffolk. Drainage Shovel by Griffin. Steel with ash pole and long protective steel strapping. Shovel head angled backwards. Stamped ‘Griffin . +Logo.’  Unused condition. 87 inches (221cms).

English. C1900. Drainage Spade. Narrow Shovel-shaped wrought steel blade and ash T-handled shaft. 67 inches (170cms).

Peat Spade. Steel with foot stirrup and ash D-grip. 39 inches (99cms).

English. Early 20C. Central spine as opposed to usual strapping fixes ash D-handle to steel blade. Stamped on blade ‘Birmingham’ ‘Diamond Logo’ ‘272’. 39.75 inches (101cms) x 7.5 inches (18.8cms).

19C. Small blade 9.5 inches (24cms) x 5 inches (13cms) with turned up edges. Re-handled.

C1900. Metal clad wood heart and long ash handle with T-grip. Burnt on initials each side of ash handle ‘WG’. Faint traces blue paint. 59 inches (150cms) x 10.5 inches (26.5cms).

English. Early 20C. Shovel with steel blade and ash D-handle. Stamped on strapping ‘GWR. BF. Mar 37’. 38.5 inches (98cms) x 9.75 inches (25cms).

Steel with ash T-handle stamped ‘C.S. + K’ on wood. Strapping stamped ‘C.T.Skelton & Co. Sheffield. S + 8’. 42.25 inches (107cms) x 5 inches (13cms).

English. C1900. Double skinned blade formed around tapered oak wood insert pictured at cleat and through tear in metal skin on back of blade. Long strapping and ash T-Grip. 41 inches (104cms) x 6.75 inches (17cms).

18-19C. Small fine spade. Hand wrought iron with ash handle that appears contemporary. 42 inches (107cms) x 3.8 inches (9.7cms).

English. C1900. Lincolnshire fen ditching spade. Steel cutting edge and red oxide treated straps. Ash handle and blade with copper rivets. The smooth wooden face allowed the sticky clay soil to ease off the blade during the back breaking work of cutting water channels in the land. Land drains were often laid into the channels using Clay Pipes (see Land Drain under ‘Science’) and a Pipe Hook. The painting of the rusting strapping shows the care given to a working man’s property in the day. 51.8 inches (131.5cms) x 6.5 inches (16.4cms).

Irish or Scottish. Peat Spade. Cow horn handle. 51.5 inches (130.7cms).

English. Mid 20C. Labelled ‘Terrex. Wolf Tools Hardened Steel’. Green painted steel with plastic hand grip. Sprung digging lever. 46.5 inches (118cms) x 21.25 inches (54cms). Ref Wolf USA Catalogue 1953. Advertised as offering no more backache, no more stopping, Dig standing upright. Easy work for women and children and disabled people, either one armed or one legged. World patented and fully guaranteed. Offered with spade or fork attachment and also a model with one handed operation.

English. Early 20C. Bifid steel blade Ash shaft with steel reinforced Y-handle. Stamped ‘**** Brand’. 37.7 inches (96cms).

English. C1950. Brades 4 tine steel with ash hand-handle. Handle single rivet. Cleats. Riveted double strap. Working lifetime property of North London gentleman along with Spade AV and Hoe U. 38 inches (96.5cms) x 7.5 inches (19cms).

Early 20C. Blade formed around wood former, see subimage. Ash shaft with T-handle. 35.3 inches (89.5cms).

British. 20C. Small steel blade with open socket stamped ‘British Steel Works. Made in England’. Fine ash T-handle. Likely made for ladies/boys market. 33.7 inches (85cms).

English. Early 20C. Ground breaking spade by Elwell. All metal with wooden core. Ash grip on metal D-handle. Welded on cleats. Faint traces black paint. 38.3 inches (97.5cms).

English. 20C. Pointed steel blade with added cleats and long strapping. Stained ash D-handle. Named ‘Schlich Spade’ designed/created by Sir William Schlich, German born forester who went on to become a Professor at the School of Forestry at the University of Oxford. 38.5 inches (98cms) x 9 inches (22.5cms).

English. Early 20C. Border Spade with steel blade and ash D-handle. Stamped on strapping ‘1***HANS’. 37.5 inches (95.3cms) x 7 inches (18cms).

English. Early 20C. Rounded steel blade. Yam Spade by Yardley UK for export to Asia. Bare feet and cleats not compatible. A similar spade was sold by C T Skelton as illustrated in their 1949 catalogue on p66. This was described as Yam or Whale Spade with closed socket and 34 inch ash T-handle. 37.75 inches (96cms) x 6.75 inches (16.8cms).

Small boy’s or child’s spade. Steel with traces red and blue paint.Grey self coloured rubber grip. 34.75 inches (88cms) x 4 inches (10cms).

English. C1900. Newcastle Drainage spade. Steel with welded on cleats and strapping with 3 rivets. Ash T-handle. Stamped ‘Bulldog. Made in England. 16’. 46.5 inches (118cms).

Illustrated here is Abel Grimmer’s 1607, Der Herbst. There are images of Spades, Rakes and Grafting Knife.
The compressed sub image shows the Irish priest, Fiacre from the 600’s. He settled in France at what is now Saint-Fiacre-en-Brie. He was granted all the land he could dig in a day by the Bishop of Meaux.

British. Mid 20C. Gold plated 6 piece stainless steel set with polypropylene handles. Fork Spade Hoe and Rake Trowel and Weed Fork (sic). Labelled ‘A quality tool made & guaranteed by William Mills Sheffield’ and with trade mark. Stainless steel with olive green polypropylene handle.
Fork 4 tine and Spade both 36 inches (92cms). Hoe 62.5 inches (115cms). Rake 10 tine 54.5 inches (138cms). Trowel 12 inches (30cms). Weed Fork 4 tine 11 inches (28.5cms). Box for Weed Fork 11.5 inches (32.5cms).

English. Mid 20C. Transplanter. The ‘Plantal’. For planting tomatos, chrysanthemums, dahlias, rhubarb and fruit trees. ‘One man can dig 700 holes per hour’ Ref: Monro’s Handbook and Catalogue 1951. Aluminium half cones mounted on steel scissor assembley. strapped sockets with traces red paint. Ash shafts and metal framed D-handles with ash grips. 31.5 inches (80cms).
Sub-image from Beetons Guide 1890 Transplanters.

C1900. Fine wrought iron hook fixed with rivet to thin beech handle. 49.2 inches (125cms).

3 pronged steel and ash handle. 15.75 inches (40cms) x 2.5 inches (6.3cms).