The people who lived on the Broads 100 years ago were a hardy race whose work shaped the landscape into what we have today. Cutting reed and sedge for thatch, grazing cattle and eel catching were some of the main trades. They also manned the many drainage mills that can still be seen throughout the Broads today.Cutting reed for thatching was a popular – but tough – trade. The reedbeds were harvested by hand between December and March. Today machine cutters are mainly used.