The longbow falls roughly into three distinct groups. The Primitive, the Military / War and the Victorian.
The Primitive Bow: Used by Neolithic ancient Britons, Saxons and Vikings. These bows were short, approximately four feet in length, with a draw weight of 30 to 60 pounds. They were used mainly for hunting.
The Medieval Military or War Bow: Used from the late 13th century. Edward 1st witnessed this bow in the campaign of 1280 in Wales and had it modified with the addition of horn knocks and with a draw weight of 80 to 170 lbs. This bow was widely used in the 100 Years War, on battlefields such as Poitiers, Crecy and Agincourt.
The Victorian Bow: Developed in the early 19th century. This was mainly of laminated construction; two or more layers of different wood (as opposed to the mainly one piece of wood, “self bows”, mentioned earlier). The draw weight was of 20 to 60 lbs and is the forerunner of the bows now used in modern day target and field shoots.
Alan Jones, traditional archer
