Allotments 4 All

Bought a mattock and hossed into my soil, 6" down nice damp loamy, peaty soil.!

The Mattock came from Chillingtons. Its a great piece of kit!

Mattocks are amongst the oldest tools in the world. There's mattocks from the Late Mesolithic ( Middle Stone Age) been found in  the UK made from antler and whalebone, and there pictures of mattocks in Byzantine manuscripts of Hesiod's 'Works and Days' ( circa 700 BC).

I love my mattock.  ;D

I used a chillington on my plot to get it started, one with the three prongs.

Someone pinched it.  I really miss it.

Quote from: jontaylor9 on May 20, 2011, 22:47:05
I love my mattock.  ;D

Hi and welcome to A4A jontaylor and welcome to the "we love our mattocks club"  :D

Some people would say that allotmenteering is just a load of mattocks........................   8)

I have just googled a mattock - ah ha that's what my neighbour uses and i was well impressed - going to buy one today!!!  Anyone tell me the best place to get one - B&Q??

I bought a trenching hoe from these guys on line & they sell mattocks too.  If they are like the hoes they will be the bees knees.

http://www.chillingtontoolsonline.co.uk/digging-hoes-and-handles-c1

Yes they have a good reputation. And people were buying digging hoes on Amazon a while ago - they were about £8 which is cheap.

Also I bought an azada online. An azada is a wide, heavy mattock. But I think the narrow ones look good too. I'm definitely in the mattock appreciation society!  ;D

OK that's me sold  :) Chillingtons is cheaper and looks better than the B&Q one which has a much longer handle, have had a look at Amazon and can't find one with a handle lol.  Looks like Chillingtons will get my order.  Thanks folks

A long handle is an asset on these. Mine has a four foot handle, and it could do with a longer one. Five feet would probably be ideal.

Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on May 21, 2011, 18:36:09
A long handle is an asset on these. Mine has a four foot handle, and it could do with a longer one. Five feet would probably be ideal.

I like long handles. I have a 42" flat bed wood lathe in the garage, i turn nice long handle for the forks and spades and other tools i use.  The biggest problem is a supply of nice seasoned knot free straight grained ash.

don't know if it's too late and you have already gone ahead and bought one, but we got our mattock from screwfix - good price (at the time) too  :)