Check It Out: A peek at Edwardian farm life warms new-found perspective

“Edwardian Farm”

Directed by Stuart Elliott, BFS Entertainment & Multimedia Limited

How are you getting ready for the winter months? Are you turning up the thermostat bit by bit as the colder weather descends upon us? Maybe finding yourself stopping by your favorite coffee shop more frequently as the temperature drops?

Personally, the wetter, darker days prompt me to turn on our gas fireplace; my husband/personal chef warms up his delicious menus with soups and stews; and our cozy, heirloom quilt lovingly handmade by my mom comes out of the linen closet to comfort chilly hands and feet during the winter nights. For 21st century denizens, many of these activities define the fall and winter.

For Edwardian farmers — the period covering 1901-1910 when King Edward VII reigned over the United Kingdom — the changing of the seasons meant lots of hard work. While the first frost of the season might elicit a sense of anticipation for hot cocoa, evergreen boughs and holiday trimmings for you and me, an Edwardian farmer probably wished that Jack Frost would hold off his visits a bit longer. The farming life demanded careful planning — as well as lots of energy — to meet the challenges of wintertime living.

Unless one is able to pop into a time machine and be transported to England in 1905, it is difficult for most of us to fully appreciate what farming life entailed for Edwardian citizens. Reading about this period in history is one way to become informed, but watching others actually live it — for a full year — on a re-created Edwardian farm makes a far greater impact on the learning experience.

Three brave people — two archaeologists and one historian — take on the challenge of spending one year living out of time. From their clothing to living quarters, from livestock and crop maintenance to routine tasks such as cleaning out the chimney, everything they experience is true to an actual Edwardian farm. Speaking of chimney sweeping, I was fascinated to see holly branches tied together and pulled through the stack to remove soot and ashes. And I had no idea there was such an art to haystack maintenance (vermin and the elements could easily ruin a winter’s supply of hay if improperly maintained). Another interesting fact of life for Edwardian farmers was the importance of the ubiquitous hedge. Not just landscape features, hedges served several vital functions including the marking of field boundaries and keeping livestock with wanderlust from exploring — and destroying — neighbors’ fields.

For a unique peek into history, consider checking out the “Edwardian Farm” DVD. If nothing else, I guarantee you’ll better appreciate the conveniences of modern-day living.