The surprisingly important history of teazels

[@patriciaboyd1637]

Only just found your videos. They are so interesting. I knew virtually nothing about teasels. Thank you so much.

[@nodiggity9472]

Carding. That's the process of the woollen industry that Teasels fulfilled. It was done as an early / pre-industrial cottage industry for centuries in the south facing terraced houses in Bradford on Avon which in conjunction with Spinning. So while the men might be working in the mills sorting and processing bales of raw wool, the women could work from home every day, carding and spinning wool into yarn.

[@sarkybugger5009]

What an obscure, but deeply interesting video. They also make great back scratchers.

[@trek520rider2]

The teazle houses reminds me of what I thought were badly built barns we saw on a bike ride across Tennessee that had lots of gaps in the sides. We discovered that they were in fact for a similar purpose i.e. tobacco drying sheds. Loved your video. Pete

[@kaxwu]

Fantastic videos. Your research is very thorough and I enjoy your narration very much. Especially your dry humour. Thank you.

[@stegra5960]

When I heard the occupation fuller, I was reminded of an episode of Worst Jobs in History featuring Tony Robinson. It's on KZbin, and fair play to Tony for going through with the reenactment.

[@kathleengarvey4634]

Fascinating, actually. I had always wondered how this process worked in the past

[@MattBaker1965]

Great work m8, super photography of the my favorite part of the world.

[@rymas93]

Your videos are always such a joy to watch. I had no idea about the importance of teazels! Excellent stuff PD 🙂

[@Alan_UK]

I live in Trowbridge, in fact in a road called Broadcloth. I did last year visit the revamped Trowbridge Museum so I knew some of this. Even so, I learnt much new. Thank you. Another old mill you can visit, now a working museum, is the Coldharbour Mill in Uffculme, Cullompton Devon EX15 3EE. Up until 1981 it was making “Puttees” for military ceremonial dress but originally as normal soldiers dress in the tropics. Well worth a visit. [The word “puttee” means “bandage” in Hindi and is used to describe a length of fabric which was wound around the leg for additional protection.].

[@alanesq1]

If you can find the TV program "More Industrial Revelations" episode "What to Wear" he shows how they were used around 8mins in

[@vinawaldren6888]

I love teazels. We called them thistles. They are aesthetically pleasing to me. We used to use them for crafting cute little animals (usually hedge hogs, or owls) at camp. The boys would chase the girls with them, sometimes throwing them in our hair.😄

[@mikebetty9117]

My mother ( born 1927) who grew up near Curry Rivel, always told me that her friend and fellow Young Farmer Alfie Male grew teazles on his farm at Fivehead although I do not know when he stopped growing them. I have no doubt that he is the “ Mr Mell” in the oral history recording in your video.

[@PedestrianDiversions]

Very cool to hear! "Mell" was in the transcription provided so I took it at its word, but now you mention it... Male is a classic local name, I ran across a Mr Male in my fives wall video

[@dansonthetube]

Brilliant 👏

[@PedestrianDiversions]

cheers. i might've peaked with this one

[@pierre-de-standing]

You are making documentaries that are worthy of being broadcast. Hopefully, some TV type will happen upon this channel and take note. I love your content, and style. Easy on the ear, informed and at times very humorous. You are making me missing my home of eight years where, amongst other things, I met my wife to be. It's a long way from where I am now in Scotland (and occasionally Oxford), but I will need to spend some time in Brizzle to revisit my haunts, if there are any of them left.

[@DrWatch2Much]

fascinating!

[@DraugaDae]

Found this to be a fascinating video, very much enjoyed. That said I'd not anticipated enjoying a 40 minute documentary on walls in Somerset, but the unexpected is part of the joy of life. Please keep it up.

[@alm1261]

weird, I drove past the second teazel house near shepton mallet today and looked at it wondered what it was for (i guessed drying grain). then I come home and stumble on this video completely coincidentally!

[@jennybartle]

This year I managed to grow a teasel in my garden that was 8ft tall, truly my proudest achievement. Another great video, thanks!

[@petemitchell9111]

I was as ridiculously fascinated! Thanks for making all these wonderfully absorbing videos - and don't stop. If you run out of inspiration please look North. I'm sure that Gloucestershire has as many interesting stories. What about the hatters of Frampton Cotterell? I'm sure that you could make them interesting...

[@PedestrianDiversions]

My main problem with Gloucs is that the train stops hardly anywhere, and I've no relatives there to arm-twist into a day out with their car... nonetheless I always appreciate a nice suggestion...the hatters do sound interesting, if I can figure out a way to get there. walkable from Yate perhaps...

[@nickrobinson7998]

Enjoyed this!

[@jamesmccarthy6988]

Slightly embarrassing that I've seen these a lot growing up round here and just assumed they were some kind of thistle!

[@priyambhushan8782]

What a fantastic video, about something I knew close to nothing about! Always so well researched and thorough :)

[@KaitlynnUK]

a very teasing subject (someone had to go there, so I did!) combed over and napped very well indeed.

[@geepit]

Great video, really fascinating! I’ll never look at a teasel in the same way again

[@martinpook5707]

Actually it was fascinating. Thank you.

[@dukeofaaghisle7324]

I went inside Trowbridge’s Handle House about 7 or 8 years ago. It was in use as offices for Carewatch, an in-home social care agency. The walls were lined internally with glazing material, but even so it was surprisingly dark inside. I have seen teazles growing abundantly along roadsides around Trowbridge. I assume they are descended from those cultivated for the carding machines of the broadcloth trade.

[@thebiodiversitypodcastbyte9015]

Thank you for creating this video. I've always looked at teasels, obviously from a bad adversity and wildlife point of you, but your well research video really provides a greater social economic dimension to the humble teasel. It was interesting in your video that you mentioned about D. sativus. I have never seen any escapees of this in the wild. However, I did buy a D.sativus I planted it in my front garden. It hybridised with the native D. fullonum. The offspring had black stem and a white flower.

[@PedestrianDiversions]

My script originally mentioned the wildlife angle a little bit, 'winter food source for goldfinches' IIRC, but I think that ended up on the cutting room floor because I'm always trying to force myself to be more focused on my supposed topic rather than info-dumping everything. I do also like plants and wildlife and dabble in gardening though... interesting to hear about your spontaneous hybrid!

[@Rog5446]

Only193 likes at the time of posting, which was 4 months after this video was put up? What's wrong with serious youtube addicts, who like me search for gems like this? Where are you all?

[@vinawaldren6888]

I think we're catching up. I seem to always be right on the forefront of catching on to what's cool just before it blows up really big! 😄

[@MegaCj74]

PD does it again!

[@antonseer]

Very good and very very Interesting, and some surprising facts. Ant.

[@amara6656]

Thanks, that was really interesting i will probably be seeing teazels everywhere now 🌞

[@PedestrianDiversions]

haha yup as soon as I started looking out for them I started seeing them everywhere I went!

[@MarkVanVasey]

Another great video. Thanks.

[@lisahopper207]

Great video

[@alistairbarclay3116]

Bloody amazing, history I have never heard before

[@Deepthought-42]

Not to be confused with Teslas whose owners tease out mileage between charges in the name of saving the planet.

[@IcelanderUSer]

Love your channel. Just commenting this so perhaps yt will promote your channel more.

[@PedestrianDiversions]

thanks! yt has been giving me crazy traffic lately but this video not so much, which is a shame cos it's one of my favourites personally :)

[@gregmathews715]

Impressive

[@gregmathews715]

You could or perhaps should write a book on this and get it reviewed and published through a university press

[@Shittybum]

i fuckimg love teazels now

[@getdavemoore]

As is legally required.