What did a besom maker do in the Middle Ages?

Traditionally, besom brooms are made from the twiggy growth of the birch tree, and the craft was particularly strong in areas where birch coppices abounded. In other parts of the country, such as North Wales and Yorkshire, birch was frequently substituted by heather. Marram grass has also been occasionally used.

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In most coppices, besom-making was rarely a full-time job. Instead it is a summer job, to be fitted in when more demanding jobs are over and using up materials that would otherwise be wasted.