Historic Tools

Horse-drawn Root Crop Seed Drill

A long time ago, seeds were sown by hand. People would walk over fields scattering handfuls of grain. In 1701, the seed drill was invented. It could be pulled by a horse. It allowed for seeds to be planted in straight lines. This drill was probably made in the late 1800s.  

Oil Cake Breaker

At the farmyard, we feed our animals special pellets. Before this was common, animals were fed oil cake. Oil cake was made from the solid material left over after oil was squeezed from crops such as linseed. This material was made into blocks called cakes.  Cake breakers like this were then used to grind the large chunks into pieces that animals could eat.  

Grinding Mill

This mill is a device that breaks solid materials into smaller pieces by grinding, crushing, or cutting. This is an essential part of feed processing and grinding animal feed.  

Single Furrow Rigid Horse-drawn Plough

Modern farms use large ploughs pulled by tractors. Before these were invented, ploughs like this were used to divide soil into furrows ready for sowing seed or planting.

One large horse like a Suffolk Punch or Shire could pull a plough like this one. The plough was controlled by a person walking behind.