SEE VIDEO OF THE WORLDS LONGEST CORN DOLLY!
British rural crafts are very much admired around the world but how about this record breaking one of a corn dolly?
A woman from Dorset has just made a 65 foot (20metres) long corn dolly that many in the farming and rural crafts industry believe to be a world record.
MEASURING THE LONGEST CORN DOLLY
Audrey Rolfe from Bridport had spent over 4 weeks carefully plaiting the giant corn dolly in her home that in fact is too small to display the completed work and in order to get the dolly officially measured she had to take it to a local sports complex in the town.
Seven people helped to move the corn construction that was rolled around a huge drum so it could not be bent and broken. It was then laid out very carefully on the floor of the hall and measured with a surveying measure and with the final length being recorded as 65 feet and 7.4 inches.
Intricately woven dolly is made up of over 3,000 wheat stalks finely interlaced by Audrey over the last four weeks. Made from Maris Widgeon wheat straw, selected by Audrey for its durability and pliability – vital criteria for the intricate and painstaking plaiting of each stalk to achieve the finished design. The dolly is made in a traditional ‘Long Welsh Fan’.
The public had a chance to see the giant corn construction for the very first time at Dorset County Show at Dorchester. This annual county show is held on the outskirts of Dorchester and features displays of farm animals.
Dorset County Show Secretary, Sam Mackenzie-Green said, “We have extensively harvested the history books and stalked the net but we cannot find any reference to such a huge corn dolly, so we feel very confident that we have a record breaker to show off ”.
