Ancient/Medieval Haystacks and Hayricks

With the advent of modern mechanisation the Countryside has seen a change in how the harvest is gathered. Once present in many fields the older style haystacks and hayricks have now disappeared but for wargaming periods from ancients up to modern, (in Yugoslavia during their Civil War), these haystacks could be seen.

I have added a price list at the end of this post.

With a 28mm figure for comparison the complete haystack on the left and the partial haystack on the right. I supply a painted version in the foreground and also plain in the background .

These haystacks were constructed by laying logs on the ground where the haystack would be built. This would allow air to travel underneath and dry the straw. The straw would be built up around a central log which would have further logs tied to it at the top. As the last layers of straw were added the logs would be laid over the roof to stop the stack blowing away in the wind. As the stack was used the tied logs would continue to stop the remainder from blowing away.

Here is a closer look of the painted partial stack.

These were painted in vallejo 941 Burnt Umber, dry brushed in 819 Iraqui Sand and then Iraqui sand mixed with some white and flocked and varnished.

Next the set of three hayricks. These varied in size and shape and again are supplied either painted or unpainted. Bushels are grouped together and a roof placed on top to repel rain.

Here is a closer picture of one from the set

Prices are:

H001   Hayrick (set of 3) unpainted                                                              £7.00
H002   Hayrick (set of 3) Painted                                                                  £11.00
H003   Haystack complete unpainted                                                           £6.00
H004   Haystack complete painted                                                               £10.00
H005   Haystack partial unpainted                                                                £5.00
H006   Haystack partial painted                                                                    £9.00