# English Heritage revives ancient scything craft

> Conservation volunteers are learning to cut meadows by hand to protect rare bees and keep a centuries-old skill alive.
- Title: English Heritage revives ancient scything craft · the Guardian
- Summary: Conservation volunteers are learning to cut meadows by hand to protect rare bees and keep a centuries-old skill alive. English Heritage is training…
- Keywords: english heritage, scything, volunteer training, meadow conservation, shrill carder bee, muchelney abbey, somerset, bumblebee conservation trust, traditional skills, habitat restoration, pollinators, exmoor national park authority
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/sep/17/english-heritage-trains-new-generation-of-scythers-to-maintain-meadows-and-craft
- Published: 2026-09-17T04:00:39+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: english heritage, scything, volunteer training, meadow conservation, shrill carder bee, muchelney abbey, somerset, bumblebee conservation trust, traditional skills, habitat restoration, pollinators, exmoor national park authority
## English Heritage recruits scythe volunteers
The conservation charity is training volunteers to cut meadows by hand at Muchelney Abbey in Somerset, reviving a centuries-old practice for modern land management.
## Scything protects rare bumblebees
The project focuses on Muchelney Abbey's meadow, where hand-cutting will create flower-rich habitats for the shrill carder bee, a species that has declined due to loss of grasslands.
## Volunteers find scything therapeutic
Trainee Ginny Slade describes scything as meditative, with a repetitive rhythm that lets you connect with the landscape while hearing the blade cut and smelling the meadow.

> You find your rhythm and zone into it. You can really connect with the meadow, the landscape.
## Training comes from national park experts
Professionals at Exmoor National Park Authority teach volunteers how to use and maintain scythes, which can last for generations if properly cared for.

> You want a really good scythe. If you look after them, they can last generations.
## Volunteers monitor bee populations
As part of a three-year project with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, volunteers track which flowers bloom, which plants bees use, and how far they travel from nests.
## Project expands beyond Somerset
Muchelney Abbey is the pilot site for a larger initiative. English Heritage plans to send trained scythers to other heritage sites as part of a pledge to create and enhance 100 meadows.
## Key takeaway

English Heritage is training volunteers to use scythes for meadow maintenance, combining habitat restoration for endangered bumblebees with preservation of traditional land management skills.