LAST week’s Craven curiosity was guessed correctly by quite a few readers, with a few others suggesting it looked a bit like something punk rockers might have worn around their necks back in the late 1970s.

Richard Throup of Bradley was one of those who guessed correctly. He said he thought it was a home-made contraption to stop a cow drinking it’s own milk. “It would fasten round the cows nose - like a halter - and be made from leather straps and nails,” he said.

Gill and Bill Daker, of Skipton, said: “We think it’s a device fitted to newly weaned calves to stop them suckling again. Cows don’t appreciate being poked by the nails! These days they just separate the stock to stop it happening.”

And Francis Phillips said: “I think this week’s curio is a halter to put on calves to stop them suckling from their mothers and to wean them off. “

Anne Read, honorary curator of the Museum of North Craven Life at The Folly, Settle, tells us:

“This rather gruesome-looking item of dairy farming equipment was a device that was buckled round the neck of a calf to prevent suckling and encourage the weaning process.

“The cow would not tolerate being prodded by the sharp spikes on the collar and would quickly back off and rebuff any further attempts of its calf to suckle.

“ Plastic examples of these collars are available to this day are available via the internet. Tough love in action.”

This week’s curiosity is for a change not something from the collection of a museum, but from the offices of Skipton Town Council, in the town hall.

Suggestions to what it may be, or if you have a curiosity you would like to share with our readers, email news@cravenherald.co.uk.