The Birch is formed from binding together twigs or rods to form an implement for Corporal Punishment.
Originally a prime implement of punishment in English schools, it was prevalent from the Middle Ages till Victorian times when it was replaced by the Cane.
The Birch remained an implement for judicial punishment in the UK till 1948, being retained in the Isle of Man till 1976.
There are two distinct types of Birch, a brush birch and the Manx birch. The 'Birch'
For many CP enthusiasts in the UK, punishments at school formed the start of the interest. Spanking was one method used, but the cane (particulary in England) and the tawse (particulary in Scotland), were other methods commonly in use. As ones knowledge developed, it was realised that the paddle was used in US Schools
A seminal work on the Corporal Punishment of Schoolgirls is now online:
The Corporal Punishment of Schoolgirls : Margaret Stone : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming :
For many in the UK who are are Corporal Punishment enthusiasts the school scenario is often synonymous with that interest. Perhaps that interest grew from evocative memories......
The classroom....
A memorable Headmistress........
The Strict School Teacher ready to instil discipline ......
The uniforms..........
The Rules.....
The Discipline......
And what tales those School Punishment Books could tell...
I discovered 'Janus' UK magazine which was a revelation. A magazine published in the UK which indicated that there were many others interested in Corporal Punishment, and often had a school theme. There were pictures and stories of schoolgirls being punished, as well as a letters section with some true life accounts. A new level of interest arose, and how I used to wait in those pre-internet days for a month between issues.
Janus was first published in 1971 under the title of 'Mentor'. I
Corporal Punishment.... an evocative phrase conjuring up images from a spanked bottom, through school punishments to brutal judicial floggings.
I am not sure what started my fascination with Corporal Punishment. Perhaps it was accounts in books such as Jayne Eyre and the harsh environment of Lowood School. I do not think I ever finished that book, I never got beyond Jayne Eyre being Birched.
Jayne Eyre - Lowood School
I think the first ever proper spanking I saw was in a film