What is a barleycorn?

A barleycorn is a historic unit of length equal to one third of an inch, initially based on the length of a barley grain and used mainly for British shoe sizing and historical measurements.

How is a span (cloth) defined?

A span (cloth) is a traditional length unit derived from the distance between the thumb and little finger of an outstretched hand, commonly about 9 inches, used in textile contexts.

Why convert barleycorn to span (cloth)?

Converting barleycorn to span (cloth) helps in interpreting historical British length measures relative to fabric widths, aiding tailoring, crafts, and textile restoration work.

Barleycorn to Span (cloth) Converter | Online Length Units Conversion

Convert historic British length units from barleycorns to traditional textile spans quickly and easily. Perfect for tailoring, craft, and textile restoration.

Barleycorn

Span (cloth)

Please check your input. It must be a valid numeric value.

Barleycorn to Span (cloth) Conversion Table

Barleycorn	Span (cloth)

Custom Unit Conversion Table Generator – Instant Printable Conversion Tables

Start Value

Enter the starting number (positive decimal or integer ≥ 0). Example: 0.1, 1, 5.

End Value

Enter the ending number (positive decimal or integer > Start Value). Example: 10, 50, 100.

Interval

Enter the step size (positive decimal > 0 and < End Value – Start Value). Example: 1.0, 2.5.

Barleycorn to Span (cloth) Conversion Table
Barleycorn	Span (cloth)

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What Is This Tool?

This tool allows users to convert measurements from barleycorns, a historic British length unit, to spans (cloth), a traditional textile measure. It helps interpret and relate old English units used in tailoring, shoemaking, textiles, and antique contexts.

How to Use This Tool?

Enter the value in barleycorn units you want to convert
Select barleycorn as the source unit and span (cloth) as the target unit
Click the convert button to see the equivalent length in spans (cloth)

Key Features

Converts barleycorn to span (cloth) using the established conversion rate
Supports understanding of traditional British length measurements
Ideal for tailoring, textile crafts, and historical document interpretation
Browser-based and easy to use without installation

Examples

3 barleycorn equals about 0.111 span (cloth)
9 barleycorn converts to roughly 0.333 span (cloth)

Common Use Cases

Interpreting traditional British shoe size increments
Converting historic length units in antique appraisals and archives
Measuring narrow fabric widths in tailoring or textile restoration
Assisting crafts and bespoke clothing using traditional measurements

Tips & Best Practices

Use this conversion for context rather than scientific precision
Remember that span (cloth) is approximate due to its basis on hand size
Apply the tool when working with pre-metric British units or historical patterns

Limitations

Units are non-SI and defined approximately, so exact precision is unavailable
Span (cloth) length can vary because it originates from a human hand measure
Not suitable for scientific or engineering calculations requiring high accuracy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a barleycorn?: A barleycorn is a historic unit of length equal to one third of an inch, initially based on the length of a barley grain and used mainly for British shoe sizing and historical measurements.
How is a span (cloth) defined?: A span (cloth) is a traditional length unit derived from the distance between the thumb and little finger of an outstretched hand, commonly about 9 inches, used in textile contexts.
Why convert barleycorn to span (cloth)?: Converting barleycorn to span (cloth) helps in interpreting historical British length measures relative to fabric widths, aiding tailoring, crafts, and textile restoration work.

Key Terminology

Barleycorn: A traditional British length unit equal to one third of an inch, originally based on the length of a barley grain, used historically in shoe sizing and measurements.
Span (cloth): A historic, non-SI length unit representing the distance between the tip of the thumb and little finger of an outstretched hand, used for describing narrow textile widths.

Quick Knowledge Check

What historic measurement is a barleycorn based on?

Length of a grain of barley

Width of a fabric span

Distance between thumb and little finger

Approximately how many spans (cloth) equal one barleycorn?

0.037

0.37

3.7

In which context is the span (cloth) primarily used?

Textile fabric width measurement

Shoe sizing increments

Scientific length standards

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