Market Lavington was once a fully self-sufficient community – no different from other small towns and villages throughout the country. If planks of wood were needed they had to be made from the raw material – trees. Without power tools, much manual work was involved and saws of different types were devised to help sawyers, carpenters and joiners to produce all of the items that could be made from wood.
At Market Lavington Museum we have a range of saws, which have all been used in the parish in former years.
Some saws at Market Lavington Museum
The saw at the top is a two handled saw found in a shed at High Street, Easterton. It is twentieth century in origin and gives an idea of the fact that for many jobs the skills and strength of two workers were required. It may have been used for cutting across tree trunks to produce wood of the required length.
The middle saw is a standard pit saw for converting tree trunks to flat planks and boards. Two sawyers operated it over a sawpit. The bottom handle is missing. It is hard to date for these were in use from medieval times and on into the twentieth century.
At the bottom we have a frame saw. This, too, was used over a pit. Carpenters and wheelwrights were able to cut shaped pieces of timber with it. It dates from about 1900.
We have many other tools at Market Lavington Museum. Why not call in and see them this year.
Tags: craft, Easterton, Market Lavington, Museum, tool
Market Lavington Museum 
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