“Hazely Brick Earth” is an old Essex dialect term for the rich soil found in Essex. This soil has provided livelihoods for Essex people through agriculture and rural trades for centuries. This exhibition will explore how agriculture and rural trade has changed, or continued in its traditions, from the past to the present day.

Through photographs and objects from the museum’s social history collection, the exhibition will explore the importance of rural trades, such as thatching, malting, crop production and animal husbandry, to this north-west corner of Essex. Alongside this, contemporary photographs and stories from our local community will illustrate how things differ today.

If you work in agriculture or a rural trade in north-west Essex and you would like to be involved in the exhibition, please contact Leah on 01799 510645 or email lmellors@uttlesford.gov.uk

With thanks to Saffron Drones for their support, and to RAGT Seeds and NFU Mutual for their generous sponsorship.