Chloe: what I did on my work placement with Wakefield Museums and Castles

Chloe recently did a work placement with us as part of her university course. She's kindly written this guest blog about her experience. 

Read on to discover some of the interesting objects she catalogued for us!

During my work placement I was based in the museum store. I catalogued a small collection of items from the Sykes / Slazenger factory. The Sykes / Slazenger factory is mainly known for manufacturing sports items and equipment.

When I first started my work placement I was given a tour of the museum store. I was shown some of the objects and items they have and told about their significance. I was then shown the objects I would cataloguing throughout the eight weeks of my placement. I was also shown the history file. This contains everything needed to be kept with the collection, like the forms to say what needs to be catalogued or just used for reference. It also says how they got the items as well as the ownership of the items.

The objects I catalogued

The items I was to catalogue were:

• a pile of black and white photographs

• a photo album with more black and white photographs

• a head press (this was used to help make sure the tennis racket kept its shape)

• a tennis racket with a head press

• some rifle furniture (the wooden parts of a rifle) produced in the Sykes / Slazenger factory during the Second World War

The photographs

After looking through the objects, I decided I would start by cataloguing the black and white photographs. I started by putting the photographs into groups. I wanted to keep and catalogue the ones that were similar together.

A lot of the photographs were quite similar in nature. Cataloguing them was difficult, as it was hard to tell the difference between them.

Some of the photographs were pictures of some of the different manufacturing processes. These included how a tennis racket or a golf club was made. Others were of people using the machine, or just of the machines themselves.

This was very similar when I had catalogued the photo album. Some of the photographs were similar or the same to the ones I had already catalogued.

 This photograph shows a man looking over a finished golf club. He is making sure that everything has been done correctly. He is also putting on the final touches to the golf club.

Cataloguing the 3D objects

Cataloguing the rifle parts, tennis racket, head presses and the film reel was different. These objects have depth, whereas the photographs do not.

When measuring the length of the objects, I had to use a tape measure. They were quite long and it would have been difficult to do so without. I also had to look closely at the objects to make sure the condition they were in was fine. 

I was also looking to see if there was anything that was engraved or marked on to the objects.

The racket, still in its head press

The Sykes factory started to manufacture the wooden rifle parts during the Second World War. They would have slowed down the manufacturing of the sports items they produced, along with some of the machines in the photographs.

Pieces of wooden rifle furniture made by Sykes

There were some books amongst the items within the collection I was able to use for referencing. This was useful as I was able to match the photographs to the pictures of the machines within the books. 

There were some small pieces of paper that also had the name and description of what the machine was used for and how it worked. I was able to match the pieces of paper to the photographs as some of the machines had their names engraved on the front.

'Sykes and the War' and a thesis I used to research the objects

I had lastly catalogued some letters within the collection. They were in correspondence with the Sykes / Slazenger factory (more importantly the people within the factory). The majority of them had the dates in which they were sent. This made it easier for me to catalogue them in time order.

A lot of the letters were in response to Briggs receiving the British Empire Medal that was awarded by the King. This was due to his hard work in the war effort. Briggs sent letters back saying that it was a joint effort with the people he was working with and only done with the support of others.

This small collection I have catalogued is a part of a bigger collection Wakefield Museums and Castles has. There is loads more to find out about other sports items and equipment that were made at the factory. There's also lots to learn about the history behind the factory and how they stepped in to help with the war effort.

MHG Volunteer Blog 32: Sneezewort

It's time for the latest blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their blog series here.

Another sunny day was due. We started early to beat the heat. Helen potted on some winter savory and southernwood. Carole re-stocked the sales barrow. Then Helen and Lillie went to work on weeding the dry-stone wall. Meanwhile, Carole carefully pulled up the dying borage and cut back the viper’s bugloss. Those tiny little hairs can get through practically anything!

Caroline and Louis started to weed near the top of the MHG. Carole carried out the weekly flower count and thought about her preparations for the busy week ahead.

On Wednesday morning, Carole will be giving a “snip and sniff” tour and talk of the MHG to the Darrington Gardeners’ Club. In the early evening, she will be giving a short talk about the flavours of the some of the herbs at August’s Museum Meet-up at Pontefract Castle. On Saturday she will give the free monthly MHG talk.

We had two notable visitors today, one more welcome than the other. The first was a huge house spider! It had hidden from the heat amongst the plant pots. It gave us quite a scare as it suddenly scurried around.

A very large eight-legged visitor!

Most welcome was a councillor for the Hemsworth ward, who pops in on a regular basis. She wanted to let us know how well her pink mophead hydrangea was getting on. She had previously bought it from our sales barrow.

This was a timely conversation as next Monday we will be taking more hydrangea cuttings. Just pop along at 11 am if you want to know how it’s done and have a go yourself.

Plant of the week - Sneezewort (achiellea ptarmica)

The name 'sneezewort' comes from the plant’s ability to cause sneezing when dried, powdered and inserted in the nose. 

The genus name 'Achillea' is named in honour of the Greek warrior Achilles. In mythology he was taught the healing properties of this herb by his tutor Chiron the Centaur. 

The species name 'ptarmica' comes from the Greek word 'ptarmikos', 'to sneeze'.

Sneezewort is native to Europe and Western Asia. It is a vigorous, upright, clumping, herbaceous perennial. It can grow to a height and spread of 3ft. Its leaves are typically lanceolate or ovate in shape, with finely-toothed or lobed margins. They grow in an alternate arrangement along the stems. Like many other plants, the sneezewort's pattern of development displays the Fibonacci sequence.

It will grow in any moist, but well-drained, soil with a pH of between 6.5 and 8. It is best in full sun to part shade as long as it gets at least six hours of direct sunlight a day.

Sneezewort growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

It flowers between June and September. It grows loose clusters of white flowers with yellow-brown disc florets. Occasionally, as shown above, double-flowered forms are seen. The petals on each flower are notched.

Culinary uses of sneezewort

Sneezewort has a bitter, slightly peppery taste. The leaves have been used in salads or as a garnish.

Folklore and other facts about sneezewort

In some traditions, sneezewort has been associated with Venus. It was used in love potions and spells.

Sneezewort was often associated with purity and cleanliness. It was believed to ward off evil spirits and negative energies. In many cultures, the flower was used in various rituals and traditions to represent sincerity and straightforwardness.

Travellers sometimes carried sneezewort as a charm to protect them from injury on their journeys.

The leaves are also known to act as an insect repellent.

Medieval uses of sneezewort*

Chewing the fresh leaves or root can produce a numbing and tingling sensation, similar to Sichuan pepper. This made it a traditional remedy for toothache.

The dried and powdered leaves of sneezewort have been used as a 'sneezing powder'. In some cases they were added to snuff. This was thought to help clear nasal passages, relieve congestion and help with headaches.

Sneezewort is mildly toxic to cats and dogs. It is poisonous to horses and cattle.

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.

Painting Budapest in Wakefield: György Gordon (1924-2005)

We were very pleased to host Arpad Bak, a PhD student from the University of Leeds, on a recent placement. Arpad conducted in-depth research into stories of migration to the Wakefield District. 

In this guest blog post, he recounts the story of artist, György Gordon. As part of his research, Arpad interviewed Gordon’s daughter, Anna. 

We’re very grateful to Arpad and Anna for this fascinating article.

Wakefield-based Hungarian-British painter, György Gordon (1924-2005) means to his hometown what Jacob Kramer (1892-1962) means to neighbouring Leeds. 

Both artists arrived in the UK as refugees from East Central Europe in the 20th century. They made lasting contributions to their newly found homes’ cultural life, both as artists and educators. 

Below we look at Gordon’s life and artistic legacy 20 years after his death.

György Gordon, Self Portrait, 1983. Oil on Canvas. 49 x 59.5cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Full credit at end of article.

Gordon and his daughter, Anna fled Hungary in 1956, amid the turmoil of the anti-Soviet revolution. More than 200,000 people left Hungary during or after the repressed popular uprising against Moscow’s dominance over the country.

Anna was six when they fled. The only thing she took with her was a plush toy of a monkey. Anna grew up to be a fashion designer living in southern England and still cherishes this personal object from her childhood: “It has been a faithful company for me throughout my life.”

Gordon and his first wife, Márta Edinger (1924-1997), both held degrees from the Hungarian College of Fine Art. When the revolution broke out in Budapest in late October 1956, Marta was on a work trip to Australia. She drew caricatures at the Olympic Games in Melbourne. Meanwhile Gordon held an art residency in Zsennye, a village in western Hungary, not far from the Austrian border.

On 4 November 1956, the Soviet Union invaded Hungary and crushed the uprising. Although Gordon did not join the armed fights in the streets of Budapest, he was part of the intellectual opposition to the Stalinist regime in Hungary. 

Gordon feared the consequences of this dissent and decided to escape the country through the western border. Márta had relatives in the US and the family planned to reunite there.

Gordon was 32 at the time of the revolution. Anna had barely started primary school. Together, they set out to cross the border on foot across a forested area. They didn't take any baggage, which could have betrayed them. They walked during the night and hid during the day. Once they sheltered in an abandoned farmhouse. At other times they buried themselves in leaves, Anna recalled during our conversation.

György Gordon, Mourning, 1964. Oil on Canvas. 99 x 57.5cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Full credit at end of article.

It took three days for them to reach the border, as they lost their way in the wilderness multiple times. “There were many trails left in the woods, which my father imagined were traps,” Anna explained. But their real ordeals started just after arriving in Austria.

After some weeks spent at a refugee camp in Salzburg, Gordon and his daughter were carried overseas with a humanitarian airlift. They arrived at Ellis Island around Christmas. However, the authorities found out that the painter was a member of the Communist party in Hungary. He and Anna were deported back to Austria, as “undesirable aliens.”  It is important to note that Gordon had to be a member of the Communist party in order to have employment in Hungary.

Anna and Gyorgy were imprisoned upon their return. Anna shared a cell with four other children, also deportees, the youngest of whom was only four years old. After four days, she was placed under the care of a Hungarian couple. Her new foster parents took her to Germany, where they planned to work at a local coalmine. However, they soon changed their mind and decided to return to Hungary. They forced Anna to beg money in churches for the travel.

Whilst on the train heading home, Anna fled her foster parents. She jumped off the vehicle in Austria, in the hope of finding her father there. Her parents were already in the UK by that time. Anna ended up in another refugee camp, but the Red Cross helped reunite her with her parents. In June 1957 Anna took a plane to London, on her own, and finally joined up with her family there. However, instead of regaining the life that she left behind in Budapest, she found her parents’ marriage in a crisis. They divorced soon after.

György Gordon, Female Torso. Screenprint on paper. 50.5 x 58cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Full credit at end of article. 

Gordon met his second wife in the community of Hungarian émigrés in London. In 1961, he married Marianne Mózes (1936-2013), who studied piano at the Royal Academy of Music. At that time, Gordon worked as a graphic designer for multiple agencies. 

For a while, they lived with a community of young artists from Hungary in Menelik Road, Kilburn. Many of them became successful in their careers in the UK or other countries. 

But Anna noted there were sad stories too. Their friend, the film-maker Robert Vas, who made a number of documentaries for the BBC, took his life for not gaining British citizenship, in fear of imprisonment in his home country.

György and Marianne became British citizens in 1964, a year after the birth of their son, Adam. The same year, they moved to Wakefield, where Gordon was offered a lecturer position at the Wakefield Technical and Arts College. He taught graphic art and later painting at this institution for over twenty years. Later on, Marianne also joined the staff of the college as a teacher of music. 

The Hungarian couple soon found many new friends among local arts professionals. They included fellow artists Martin Bates, Peter Murray and Steve Simpson, curator James Hamilton, and art critic W. T. Oliver.

The Gordons' home became a site of vibrant social life. “The house was full of people. People around the table talking, arguing, planning,” evoked Anna. They also frequently hosted music performances. First, the Gordons lived in a three-storey house near the city centre, at 42 Bond Street. They moved to a pair of former barn buildings in Heath Common, just outside Wakefield, in 1978. It took almost a decade for them to fully refurbish the ruined historical buildings, called the Joiners Shop & Old Smithy. 

Gordon retired in 1986, after which he devoted most of his time to painting.

The Gordons' former home in Heath Common, near Wakefield. (Shared with consent of the current residents and Anna)

According to Anna, who by the that time had left the family home, Heath Common was a major turning point in Gordon’s life: “He finally had the studio of his dreams and he could just be home and paint. I could see that he was completely content at that point.” 

This sense of settlement was also reflected in the change of direction Gordon’s art took there. Previously, his paintings had often addressed the violence that he had seen during the Second World War and the 1956 revolution. In Heath Common, he turned to more conventional themes, such as portraits, building interiors and landscapes. However, a melancholic atmosphere remained a hallmark of his work. His human figures, including a series of self-portraits, appear to be fragile. They are enclosed in overwhelming spaces or exposed in vulnerable postures.

Hungary continued to be a subject matter for Gordon even after his period of trauma paintings. As soon as the family was naturalised in Britain, they started visiting their aging parents in Budapest. While in Hungary, Gordon made many sketches and photos of themes of potential interest.

György Gordon, Horses. Screenprint on paper. 41.5 x 51.5cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Full credit at end of article.

Gordon then returned to these sketches in his studio in Heath Common. For example, he completed a series of portraits of his in-laws. These artworks explore old age, loneliness, and isolation. Gordon also painted subjects from his new home in Britain. He made portraits of James Hamilton and the onetime Sheffield-based Lindsay String Quartet. He also produced studies of his home and its environment in Heath Common.

From the mid-1960s, Gordon regularly participated in exhibitions in the Yorkshire region. His works were often displayed alongside those by Peter Murray, the founder of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. 

In 1974, the Wakefield Art Gallery celebrated Gordon’s presence in the city with a retrospective exhibition entitled “Ten Years in Wakefield." This was followed by further major solo shows, including in Budapest, London, and Leeds. 

A number of Gordon's works are held in public collections, including The Hepworth Wakefield, the National Portrait Gallery, London, the National Széchényi Library, Budapest, and the University of Leeds.

By Arpad Bak, University of Leeds, funded by the AHRC through the White Rose College of the Arts & Humanities (WRoCAH)

Artwork images and credit lines:

1. György Gordon, Self Portrait, 1983. Oil on Canvas. 49 x 59.5cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Purchased from the Artist, 1986 with support from a V&A Purchase Grant. (C) The Artist. Photographer: Norman Taylor. Image Courtesy: The Hepworth Wakefield.

2. György Gordon, Mourning, 1964. Oil on Canvas. 99 x 57.5cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Gifted by the Friends of Wakefield Art Gallery and Museums, 2012. (C) The Artist. Photographer: Norman Taylor. Image Courtesy: The Hepworth Wakefield.

3. György Gordon, Female Torso. Screenprint on paper. 50.5 x 58cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Transferred from the Print Loan Scheme, 2007 (C) The Artist. Photographer: Norman Taylor. Image Courtesy: The Hepworth Wakefield.

4. György Gordon, Horses. Screenprint on paper. 41.5 x 51.5cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Transferred from the Print Loan Scheme, 2007. (C) The Artist. Photographer: Norman Taylor. Image Courtesy: The Hepworth Wakefield.

MHG Volunteer Blog 31: Toadflax

It's time for the latest blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their blog series here.

It was a bit of a wild start today. With both wind and rain lashing the Medieval Herb Garden it looked quite Autumnal.  This did not deter two lovely ladies, from near Lake Constance in Germany! They had stopped off to visit the castle on their way to Scotland.

Due to the weather, little could be done outside today. So, Dave checked on the strength of our “home-made” liquid fertilizer. Carole repackaged the lovage and alexanders seeds into smaller packets for storage and sowing next year. These had been harvested in the last couple of weeks. It was also an opportune time to tidy the grounds’ equipment cupboard. We also did a stocktake of plant pots and labels etc.

The Medieval Herb Garden on a windy summer's day

Plant of the Week - Toadflax (linaria vulgaris)

The Latin name 'Linaria' comes from 'linum' (flax). It was named by Linnaeus, due to its likeness to a flax plant before flowering. The name 'Toadflax' originated in the resemblance of the flower to the wide mouth of a toad. Because of its similarity to flax, it is often known as flaxweed.

It is also known as bridewort, gall wort and fluellin.

The mixture of light yellow and orange in the flowers has given it the folk names of 'Butter and Eggs,' 'Eggs and Bacon,' etc.

The genus 'Linaria' contains 125 species, seven of which are found in Great Britain. Toadflax is a perennial or annual, columnar, deciduous, herbaceous plant. It grows to a height and spread of 18 inches. It will grow in full sun in any South or West-facing, well-drained, loam or sandy soil.

Before flowering, it has a strong resemblance to flax. It has slender 6–18 in high stems. The leaves are fine, lance-shaped, threadlike, glaucous blue-green leaves. They are 0.75–2.25 in long and 0.04–0.20 in broad.

Toadflax flowers from mid-Summer to mid-Autumn. The flowers are similar to those of the antirrhinum or snapdragon. The flowers are pale yellow, except for the lower tip which is orange. They are are 0.98–1.30 in long, borne in dense terminal racemes (clusters).

Annual seed production is between 1,500–30,000. Most seeds fall within 18 inches of the parent plant.

Toadflax growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

Culinary uses of toadflax

There are no culinary uses of toadflax. The leaves of the Toadflax contain an acrid, but not milky, juice. This makes them quite unpleasant - even if the flowers look a bit like fried eggs!

Folklore and other facts about toadflax

Seeds of the common toadflax were identified from the Hoxnian interglacial strata at Clacton (424,000 to 374,000 years ago).

Toadflax was used in spells and rituals. It was also used as a protection against evil magic. In England, three toadflax seeds strung on a linen thread were said to ward off evil. It was also seen as a useful plant for breaking hexes. In Scotland, walking around a toadflax plant three times was said to unbind any spell.

The flowers have been used in Germany as a yellow dye.

During the 1600s, many people wore toadflax on the soles of their feet to ward off fevers.

The mouth of the flower is closed. It never opens until a strong insect forces its way in. Usually, the only visitors are the large bees; bumble-bee, honey-bee, and several wild bees. These are able to open the flower, and their tongues are long enough to reach the nectar.

Toadflax is a food plant for a large number of insects. These include: the bog fritillary (Boloria eunomia), sweet gale moth (Acronicta euphorbiae), mouse moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis), silver Y (Autographa gamma), toadflax moth (Calophasia lunula), toadflax pug (Eupithecia linariata), satyr pug (Eupithecia satyrata), red-fringed conch (Falseuncaria ruficiliana), boarded sallow (Pyrrhia umbra), brown rustic (Rusina ferruginea), and twin spot plume (Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla).

Medieval uses*

It was gathered when coming into flower and could be used fresh or dried. The plant was valued for its strongly laxative and diuretic activities. As a tisane, it was used internally for the treatment of jaundice, liver diseases, oedema, gall bladder complaints and skin problems.

A cooling ointment was made from the fresh plant. The whole herb would be chopped and boiled in lard until crisp. It was then strained. When cooled, it produced a fine green ointment, used against haemorrhoids, sores, ulcers and skin eruptions.

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.

MHG Volunteer Blog 30: Dyer's chamomile

It's time for the latest blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their blog series here.

Today, a new volunteer called Lillie joined us. Carole introduced Lillie to the other volunteers and showed her around the Medieval Herb Garden. Lillie had to read the MHG-specific health and safety guidance (with photos of the plants to be “wary of”). She then got to see them outside in situ.

Carole then chopped back some of the spent flowers, such as alecost, marigolds, and chicory. These are currently at least three weeks ahead of last year. She also harvested some lovage seeds for sowing next year.

Helen and Dave were kept busy weeding the MHG in the meantime.

Some unexpected, but most welcome, visitors this morning were three members of the Brazilian punk rock band 'Anti Virus'. Their lead singer was especially interested in the herbs. He translated our words for the other members of the band. He also explained to us how some of them are used in Brazil today.

Plant of the Week - Dyer's chamomile (cota tinctoria)

The word 'chamomile' comes from the Greek 'chamai', meaning 'on the ground', and 'mēlon', meaning 'apple'. This likely refers to the plant's low-growing habit and its flowers' apple-like fragrance.

The term 'dyer's' is added because the plant has been historically used to produce a yellow dye for fabrics. The name 'tinctoria' itself means 'dyeing' in Latin.

Its other names are yellow chamomile, golden marguerite and ox-eye chamomile.

In horticulture this plant is still widely referred to by its synonym, 'Anthemis tinctoria'.

Dyer's chamomile growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

Dyer's chamomile is native to Europe, the Caucasus and Iran. This amazingly bright yellow flowered plant can flower from May to October. Last year in the MHG, it flowered for 30 weeks!

It is a clump-forming, evergreen perennial. However, it tends to go leggy and needs a good 'haircut' after flowering.  It can sometimes die after two years of growth.

It will grow in any neutral to alkaline, well-drained soil. It can grow anywhere but north-facing, in full sun to part shade. It will even survive maritime exposure. It grows to a height and spread of up to 2ft.

It has deeply-cut, ferny foliage. This is mid to dark green above and downy-grey beneath, and has a pleasant smell. 

It has long-lasting yellow, daisy-like flowers, with darker yellow dome-shaped centres. The flowers are borne on long, thin angular stems. They have an apple-like scent.

Culinary uses of dyer's chamomile

As a dye plant, dyer's chamomile has no historically recorded culinary uses. 

It's not to be confused with German or Roman chamomile, which are used in teas.

Dyeing with dyer's chamomile

Dyer's chamomile flowers can be used either fresh or dried. They have been used for centuries to dye fabrics.

Dyer’s chamomile contains several chemicals that contribute to its yellow dye. These include flavones like apigenin and luteolin, as well as flavonols such as quercetagin and patuletin. These compounds, when extracted and used with a mordant, can produce a range of yellow shades. Mordants, like aluminium sulphate (alum), are crucial for fixing the dye to the fibres and intensifying the colour. Without a mordant, the colour may be very pale or even colourless.

The plant is said to work better on wool and silk than on cotton.

Folklore and other facts about dyer's chamomile

Dyer's chamomile may be used in combination with yarrow and nettles to create a liquid fertilizer.

It is pollinated by bees, butterflies, moths, flies and beetles.

Medieval uses*

Some traditional medicine may have used dyer's chamomile. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-muscle spasm and soothing properties.

It was drank as a tea, which could be made either from the flowers or the whole plant. Applied externally, it was used as a poultice on haemorrhoids. It could be applied to bath water. The leaves were also rubbed onto insect stings.

Care must be taken, however, as it is possible that dyer’s chamomile can raise blisters on the skin.

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.

MHG Volunteer Blog 29: Clary sage

It's time for the latest blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their blog series here.

The recent downpour had left the Medieval Herb Garden a bit too damp to walk on. We don’t want to squash all the air out of it. Instead, Carole pricked-out the winter savory seedlings for selling later on in the year. 

Winter savory is growing near the liquorice. It has an amazing citrusy smell that everyone immediately loves when they smell it. So, we are glad to be able to add it to our stock of home-grown herbs!

Winter savory seedlings in the Medieval Herb Garden

Carole was on her own today. She also chopped back some weld. This will be dried and used in future dyeing workshops, along with our woad. She then spent half an hour re-writing the plant labels for the sales barrow. Pencil, felt-tip and ink don’t seem to out-last the sun, so it looks like pyrography may be the way to go.

Plant of the Week - Clary sage (salvia sclerea)

The Latin name for clary sage is 'Salvia sclarea'. It comes from the Latin 'salvere' (to feel well, to feel healthy, heal). The English name 'clary' derives from Middle English 'clarie', via Anglo-Norman 'sclaree'. This in turn is from Late or Medieval Latin 'sclarēia', a word derived from 'clarus', meaning clear. Its other names are 'clear-eye sage', 'see bright' and 'tout-bonne'.

Clary sage was first introduced into Britain from Southern Europe in 1562. It is a deciduous, bushy, clump-forming, biennial plant.

In its first year clary sage forms a rosette of leaves. In its second year a 3-to-4-foot flower stalk forms with thick, square stems covered in hairs. The leaves are approximately 1 ft long at the base, and 6 in long higher up the plant. The upper leaf surface is wrinkled, and covered with glandular hairs.

The 1 inch flowers are in whorls, with between two and six flowers in each whorl. They are held in large colourful bracts that range in colour from pale mauve to lilac or white-to-pink.

Clary sage will grow in any south-facing, well-drained soil, in sun or partial shade.

Clary sage growing in the MHG

Culinary uses of clary sage

When clary sage is very young, the leaves can be used for cooking. Chopped leaves used to be dipped in batter and fried to produce fritters.

The flowers have a long history of being added to salads. They made a popular drink before black tea arrived from China.

In the Middle Ages, it was common to use clary sage instead of hops in beer. It was also used to flavour vermouths, wines and liqueurs.

In Germany it is known as Muscatel sage. It was infused with elderflower and used in the 1500s to flavour wines. It made an imitation Muscatel (a wine made from muscat grapes).

Folklore and other facts about clary sage

Clary sage is associated with vision. It was used as an aid for meditation, even opening the ‘third eye’ of clairvoyants. It was thought to enhance the ability to dream and remember dreams. It was also used in love spells.

Clary sage contains sclareol. This is a scent molecule that can be used to mimic the effects of ambergris in perfume production.

Medieval uses*

Clary sage's medicinal uses have been described as far back as the 300s BC.

It was called 'clear eye sage'. Ancient herbalists used it as an eyewash to soothe and cleanse the eye. This was because of its antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. It was also used for intestinal complaints, colic, soft bones and fractures. It could also be used to rejuvenate and calm the skin.

The chemical sclareol, found in the flowers, has also been explored for its potential in treating conditions like arthritis and dysmenorrhea.

Clary sage oil was renowned for its stress-relieving properties. The oil contains compounds such as linalyl acetate and linalool. These are known to have calming effects on the nervous system, promote relaxation, and even improve sleep quality.

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.

MHG Volunteer Blog 28: Lady's bedstraw

It's time for the latest blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their blog series here.

Another 'clammy' day!

Kaiden watered the rosemary wall and all the pots. Caroline started on the weeding and tidying up the rhubarb. Louis chopped back the horehound.

A visitor from Nottingham, here for the Liquorice Festival, asked if she could have some of the horehound off-cuts. She was organising a dried flower arrangement to celebrate the 90th anniversary of her local church. We happily obliged and gave her as much as she needed. The clusters of flowers and seed heads along the stems make the horehound a striking plant. It will make a wonderfully unusual display!

Horehound clusters growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

Carole pricked-out some more seedlings, grown from seeds collected from the MHG last year. Today it was vervain, meadow sweet and more motherwort and angelica. After a week or so, they will go on sale on the plant barrow.

We still have some liquorice plants for sale on the barrow. However, all of the white cosmos was sold already at the weekend. 

After the usual flower-count, Carole spoke to some members of a school party from Bolton about "What is St. Anthony’s Fire actually?" and medieval herbs in general.

Plant of the Week - Lady's bedstraw (galium verum)

The common English name of this plant is 'Our Lady's Bedstraw'. It possibly comes from its medieval use for stuffing mattresses. The name could also come from the Christian legend that this was one of the 'Cradle Herbs', meaning it was in the hay in Jesus' manger at Bethlehem. Among its common names are: maid's hair, petty mugget, cheese rennet, bed flower, fenwort and hundredfold.

The genus 'Galium' comprises some 400 species of annual and perennial plants. It is related to cleavers, madder and sweet woodruff (which can also be found in the MHG). The species is self-fertile, being hermaphrodite (it has both male and female organs). It is pollinated by flies and beetles.

Lady's bedstraw growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

Lady's bedstraw is native to the UK. It is a low, scrambling, carpeting, herbaceous, deciduous, perennial. It will grow in full sun or part shade, in well-drained, alkaline or neutral soil. It has stems which can reach 4ft. It has shiny, dark green, linear leaves, up to 1 inch long and 0.1 inch wide. The leaves are borne in whorls of 8 to 12, often rooting where they touch the ground.

It flowers in mid-to-late summer, when it produces upright, stiff stems. It produces frothy, terminal panicles (loose branches) of dense clusters of tiny four-lobed yellow flowers. The flowers are about 0.1 inch in diameter. They are honey-scented, and smell like new mown hay when dried. However, the plant has an astringent, bitterish taste. 

Culinary uses of lady's bedstraw

Lady's bedstraw flowers were used to curdle milk in cheesemaking. They were particularly used to make Double Gloucester, which also took its colour from the plant. The leaves of the herb are edible and can be added to salads or cooked. Roasted seeds are considered a good substitute for coffee.

In Denmark, the plant (known locally as 'gul snerre') is traditionally used to infuse spirits, making the drink 'bjæsk'.

A non-alcoholic drink can also be made by grinding the plant up, leaving it to soak in fresh water for a few hours, before straining it to drink.

Folklore and other facts about lady's bedstraw

In Norse traditions, lady’s bedstraw is associated with Frigg, the goddess of marriage and childbirth. It was believed that placing lady's bedstraw in a woman's bed during labour would ease her delivery. They called it 'Frigg's grass'.

Historically, the plant was used to stuff mattresses and cover floors. This is due to its supposed ability to deter fleas. More recently, it was thought that the dried plant could be used against clothes moths.

A red dye can be made from the roots. A yellow dye can be made from the leaves and flowers.

It is an important food source for caterpillars of the broad-bordered bee hawk moth.

Fans of 'The Archers' may remember that a 2002 poll by Plantlife resulted in Lady’s Bedstraw being voted the County Flower of Borsetshire.

Medieval uses*

Lady's bedstraw has a long history of use in herbal medicine. A powder made from the plant was used to soothe reddened skin and reduce inflammation. The fresh plant was also used as a poultice on cuts, skin infections, slow-healing wounds, burns and scalds. It was also used for destroying kidney stones and to soothe tired feet. It was also believed to act as a sedative.

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.