The Museum of English Rural Life have an exhibition on at the moment called Land Ladies: women and farming in England, 1900-1954. It’s on until April 19th.
The boots above were issued by the Women’s Land Army, and they belonged to Doreen Thorpe who served in Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Derbyshire and Yorkshire.
I’m impressed that they’ve survived completely unworn, not least because it means that we can see all the details on the stitched and hobnailed soles. I particularly like the horseshoe heels which I hadn’t seen before.
Good gosh – how WELL-MADE were they? Would be nice to sse that quality these days…