Working Oxen

For thousands of years British fields were ploughed not by horses but by oxen, usually working in teams of two or four, noted for their strength, docility and economy. This is a survey of their use in Britain, their impact upon the countryside, and the relics that can still be found: yokes, bows, shoes, housing and place-names. Martin Watts is curator of the Ryedale Folk Museum in North Yorkshire.