A basketmaker in Baud (his wheelbarrow)

In 2011 I stayed with Helene McNeill in Baud (In Bretagne, in France). Her neighbor (and the owner of the house she was renting) made baskets, and apple cider. Here is his wheelbarrow, and one of his baskets:

Nuns in a wheelbarrow

Roman d’Alexandre, Tournai 1338-1344 (Bodleian Library, MS. Bodl. 264, fol. 22r)

Sent by Wendy Neathery-Wise, who found it here: discarding images (on facebook)

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I put "France" even though the book is in England, and even though Tournai isn't in France anymore. So I'll add England, too.
More about the manuscript for those who might care: Illuminating the Roman d'Alexandre: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 264—The Manuscript as Monument, or lots more odd border images from medieval manuscripts: (on pinterest)

The wheelbarrow race in England

I hadn't seen the front axle fastened to flat lumber before. This photo is from 1932, and was identified as La course à la brouette en Angleterre : [photographie de presse] / Agence Mondial -diff. par l'Agence Mondial (Paris)-1932

It's from a link to 9,708 wheelbarrow-related photos on the French National Library site. Cath GB sent it to me! Brouette image

France is the place for wheelbarrow history. The wikipedia page in French is much longer than in any other language. Brouette

I went to see where that race might have been, and why. I found another wheelbarrow race in England, celebrating fifty years (so it wasn't the 1932 race). There are photos! One person pushes, one person rides, and there are costumes involved. And water. Big audience, even though it was raining. Braughing Wheelbarrow Race celebrates 50 Years.

The link is gone, and the wayback machine caught no images, but here, if you want to see some 2014 images, is a websearch:
Braughing wheelbarrow race 2014

It leads video and photos by individuals.

Braughing is in Hertfordshire, between London and Cambridge. Their race has a facebook page: Braughing Wheelbarrow Race. Their race has a nice logo:

Here's one in Pewsey that's for adults only, at night… Teams of three or more, costumes. September 18, 2014, if anyone wants to go and check it out. There are photos of former years: Peswsey Carnival, with wheelbarrow search. This is put on by The Pewsey And District Feast And Carnival (PADFAC), established in 1898. They put on the oldest carnival in Wiltshire. Their newsletter said, in February, that the 2014 race might not be held. In calling for volunteers, part of what was written was "There are some 800-900 people who take part in the Wheelbarrow race each year and between us we need to find two volunteers to take up these positions." (There are updates there.)

Without an extensive search, I see that there are also wheelbarrow races in Great Glen and in Watchet, in England. Watchet has a logo, too (at least for facebook purposes), at their page there: Watchet Annual Wheelbarrow Race

Three-wheeled barrow, antique, France

Yvoire is a medieval village on Lake Geneva, where I visited with Claire Darbaud and her children in June 2012. I took two photos of this wheelbarrow with "iron tires"—iron hoops fixed to the wooden wheels.






I don't know how old it is, but if I were pressed to guess I would say 18th century. I hope it's older, but I have no idea. With the wheels as they are, it could have been pushed on three wheels if it was very full, but lifted and scooted along quickly if it were empty.


More info, maybe, in general:

Here's a page called "hooping wheels," on "The Countryside Museum" site: Hooping Wheels

"In modern times, wheelwrights continue to make and repair a wide variety of wheels, including those made from wood and banded by iron tyres." (source)