By the time The Golden Hinde set sail in 1577, longbows were gradually being replaced by firearms. However, we know that Drake’s crew took a number of warbows with them and used them in combat.
These longbows are made from a single stave of yew. The lighter sapwood would have faced away from the archer and stretched as the bow was drawn. The darker brown heartwood faced the archer and would have compressed. Both the sapwood and the heartwood are naturally well suited to these roles.
The more uniform bows on display are made from Pacific yew – a high quality wood, excellent for making warbows. These bows are likely most similar to those which would have been aboard the 16th century Hinde, as Tudor bows tended to be made from high quality woods from Spain or Italy. The less uniform, knottier example is made from English Yew.
On the tips of the bows are horn nocks, where the bowstring would have been attached prior to use.
These longbows have a draw weight of around 100lbs. That means, it takes 100lbs of force to draw them to the length of the arrow. This was average for bows at the time, which could have draw weights of up to 185lbs.
Being an archer required great strength and lots of training.