Rushwork

"A little piece of history"

Anglestones
High Street
Pavenham
BEDFORD

A brief history of Rushwork in Pavenham.
Rushwork has been carried out in Pavenham village since the mid 17^thCentury. Several shops in the village produced large rolls of matting for covering floors of large buildings including cathedrals and the Houses Parliament. Other smaller rolls were cut up to make dinner baskets.

The Common Bulrush has been harvested in Pavenham for at least 300 years. The rushcutters waded, often chest-deep, into The River Great Ouse, and cut the rushes using a "rush hook." The rushes were then bundled into "boults" and stacked together to form rafts, or "rucks", which could be punted along.

	In 1946 Mrs Pamela Morgan revived the rushwork trade in Pavenham, which had all but died out due to cheap imports from abroad. She extended the range of products to include many different styles of baskets and tablemats, marketing her varied wares all over The British Isles. She also gave lessons with the help of local young people.

Although Mrs Pamela Morgan has since died, the work continues to this day. Her son, George, cuts his own rush beds by traditional methods and carefully dries them to preserve the beautiful natural colours of the rushes. His wife, Ruth continued in the footsteps of Mrs Pamela Morgan until her and George’s retirement to Dorset. They had already trained a new of band of rushworkers who continue to produce old and new styles from Anglestones, in the Bedfordshire village of Pavenham. Products include hats, placemats, baskets and plant pot holders-in fact we will undertake to make almost anything out of rush.

To make an appointment: Please telephone 01234 826433 Please E-mail:Ruth Barratt