Typically made from Derbyshire millstone grit, these rotary querns are copied from examples in museums, I use the same primitive tools and technology to create my querns. A rotary quern is essentially a ‘machine’ with a mill stone sitting on top of a furrowed ‘bed’ stone. The pattern in the lower stone collects the flour and helps the ground material to work its way toward the outer edges of the bed stone to be collected for bread making. Over the years I have carved many examples using designs copied from ancient querns studied during my visits to museums where I have handled and examined the subtleties of the design and tool marks. My querns are made to be used, often in classroom settings where the history of farming, food and diet can be explored.
