Barleycorn
A barleycorn is an old English unit of length, traditionally based on the length of a grain of barley. It is defined as exactly 1/3 of an inch or approximately 8.47 millimeters.
Historically, the barleycorn was used for measuring small lengths and was also the basis for the inch, which was originally considered to be three barleycorns long. It played a role in various traditional measurements, including shoe sizing in English-speaking countries, where shoe sizes were sometimes expressed in barleycorn units.
Although obsolete as a formal unit, the barleycorn remains culturally significant, especially in shoe sizing systems.
Summary:
1 barleycorn = 1/3 inch ≈ 8.47 mm
Based on the length of a grain of barley
Used historically in small measurements and shoe sizing
Mostly of historical and cultural interest today
Pole
A pole is another traditional unit of length equivalent to a rod or perch. It measures exactly 16.5 feet, 5.5 yards, or about 5.0292 meters.
The pole has been used historically in land measurement and surveying, especially in England and the United States. Like the rod and perch, it helped standardize measurements of fields, plots, and boundaries before the adoption of metric units.
Key conversions:
1 pole = 16.5 feet
1 pole = 5.5 yards
1 pole ≈ 5.0292 meters
4 poles = 1 chain
40 poles = 1 furlong
Though largely replaced by modern units, the pole remains a notable term in historical surveying and land records.
No conversions available for length.