Word of the day: harrow
I’ve lived for 25 years in a part of north-west London called Sudbury Hill which is at the foot of Harrow-on-the-Hill but I’ve never been aware that ‘harrow’ is an object – until today. I was out of London with a friend, we dropped into a local pub for a drink, and the name of the pub was “The Harrow”.
The pub sign made it clear that a harrow was a farming implement. Did you know that? According to the definition on Answers.com, a harrow is “a farm implement consisting of a heavy frame with sharp teeth or upright disks, used to break up and even off plowed ground”.
July 15th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
If you had come in daylight, I could have sent you down to the field where the local farmer keeps all his old implements from time gone. _ Yes there is a rusty old harrow in it. The one man yoke plough has been restored and sits proudly outside the village pub – named, of course, The Plough.
July 16th, 2009 at 7:18 am
Roger, you townie! I’ve known since childhood that a harrow was a farm implement. Loads of country pubs are called the “Plough & Harrow” complete with picture of said objects on pub sign.
See http://janetseclecticreviews.org.uk/articles.php?article_id=198
but sorry, no picture of the sign
July 16th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
I am a townie, Janet – I’ve only ever lived in Manchester and London. But the part of Manchester where I spent most of my life is called Fallowfield.