Common Ground Common Ground
Wassailing January 2008
Wassailing on Old Twelfth Night (17th January), a custom in cider making districts to exhort the apple trees to fruit well the following season. Cider is poured onto the roots and shots fired through the branches to ward off evil spirits. Warm cider is drunk and toast soaked in cider is placed in the branches 'for the robin'. Wassailing songs are sung. Wassail is from the Anglo-Saxon wes hal, to be in good health.
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Wassailing takes place across the country, notably at:
CAMBRIDGESHIRE
Saturday 5 January 2008 - Milton Country Park, Milton, Cambridge - in the New Year the park's community orchard will expand with the planting of 12 new fruit trees and the rangers are looking for sponsors for each of the trees at just £50 for a year. All the trees will be local varieties including Cottenham Seedling, Histon Favourite and Huntingdon Codlin apple trees and Cambridge Gage and Wallis Wonder plum trees. All these trees have all been sourced from the East of England Apple and Orchard Project. The newly planted fruit trees sponsored by local people will be blessed at a Wassiling event. Directions: follow the signs from the A14/A10 junction outside Milton village or take the no.19 or 19A bus that regularly stop and pick up 500 yards from the Visitor Centre. Contact: Malcolm Busby on 01223 420060
CORNWALL
Saturday 22 December 2008 - Cotehele (National Trust), St Dominick, nr Saltash PL12 6TA - help the team at Cotehele ensure that the orchard provides a healthy crop in 2008 by donning your brightly coloured hats, playing musical instruments and scaring away the evil spirits. Contact: 01579 351346 or see www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Saturday 5 January 2008 - Bodmin - Wassailers in gentleman's hand-me-downs such as top hats and frock coats bear their greetings of "wassail" around the houses of Bodmin carrying on an unbroken tradition. They sing the Bodmin Wassail, the Old Song, carols and Cornish songs and are rewarded with hospitality and with money for charity. Contact: Peter Marlow on 01208 76373
DEVON
Saturday 5 January 2008 - Community Orchard, Lawns End, & the Bishop John de Grandison Inn, Bishopsteignton - From 7pm the Apple Queen & her entourage will be accompanied by the mummers & Grimspound morris plus musicians, singers & muskets to wake the trees. The orchard has no light so bring lanterns & torches to light the way and pots & pans, buckets & spoons to wake the trees . Following the wassail the crowd will form a procession following the musicians to the Bishop John de Grandison Inn, Clanage Street, Bishopsteignton for mulled wine, roast local pork & apples and Border Morris dancing at 8pm followed by a traditional mummers play at 8.30. For further information contact: marilynb[at]europe.com
Saturday 12 January 2008 - Church Orchard, Stoke Gabriel - Celebrate the ancient traditions of twelfth night in Stoke Gabriel's community orchard. Enjoy a barbeque supper and apple cake then watch the wassailing of the trees by the wassail queen, morris dancing and singing in the orchard. Meet outside the scout hut next to Church Orchard, Stoke Gabriel at 5.45pm. Please bring a torch and wrap up warmly. Adults £2, children £1, families £5.
Thursday 17 January 2008 - Parke Estate, near Bovey Travey - help the National Trust celebrate the winter in a traditional way to ensure the Parke estate orchard gives a bumper apple crop next season. 6.30pm. Book on 01626 834748, Children £2.50.
Thursday 17 January 2008 - Buckland Abbey (National Trust), Yelverton - help rouse the apple trees from their winter slumber at this traditional ceremony, wrap up warmly and bring something noisy! Meet at the Great Barn at 7.30pm. Normal admission charges apply. Contact: 01822 853607 or see www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Thursday 17 January 2008 - New Fountain Head, Whimple - meet at The New Fountain Head 6.30pm then visit 3 orchards in the village.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE/MONMOUTHSHIRE
Saturday 19 January 2008 - the Bridge Inn and Three Tuns pubs, lower Chepstow - Chepstow Wassail and Mari Lwyd. Proceedings start 2pm at the Bridge Inn and Three Tuns pubs lower Chepstow with Morris dancing, folk music and beer festival, with a marquee at the bandstand. Later, around 5.30pm there will be a Wassail held at Elmdale, a meeting of Welsh and English on the old Town bridge around 7pm and a Mari lwyd at Chepstow Castle. It is hoped to have a childrens Mari Lwyd at the Bandstand in the afternoon. Check www.tworiversfolkfestival.com for updates or contact Mike Lewis on 07870 611 979
Sunday 20 January 2008 - Willsbridge Mill, Nr Bitton - Join the lively ceremony to revive this long lost local tradition which takes place to ensure a good fruit harvest the following season. Make noisy instruments and lanterns for the procession to wake the orchard up from its winter slumbers. Fruity trails, orchard games, home made apple refreshments. Free entry. 2-5pm. Contct: Avon Wildlife Trust on 0117 932 6885 or see www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk
HAMPSHIRE
Friday 11 January 2008 - Waggon & Horses and the Community Orchard, Hartley Wintney - Wassailing was first celebrated in January 2002, the event is now held annually at the Community Orchard usually on the 2nd Friday of January. Wassail Evening starts at the Waggon & Horses in Hartley Wintney High Street with a short performance by Hook Eagle Morris Men. Wassailers then make their way in a torchlight procession, led by local Scouts and Hook Eagle Morris Men to the Orchard a few minutes walk away where, fortified by locally produced sustenance and the contents of the Wassail Cup, Wassailers ‘Wassail’ an adjacent apple tree before returning with musical accompaniment, to the Waggon & Horses where, traditionally, the group enter by the back door, toast the landlord and depart from the front door. Starts 7pm at the Waggon & Horses. Contact the Parish Council for further details on 01252 845152
HEREFORDSHIRE
Sunday 6 January 2008 - the Crown Inn, Dilwyn - Leominster Morris Wassail 7pm. VENUE TBC. Contact: Richard Wheeler on 01568 720426 or see www.leominstermorris.co.uk
January 2008 - Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Co., Broome Farm, Peterstow, Ross-on-Wye HR9 6QG - Wassail the cider and perry orchard at Broome Farm. Contact: 01989 567232
HERTFORDSHIRE
Saturday 5 January 2008 - Stanley Lord Orchard, Shenley Park, Shenley Park, Radlett Lane WD7 9DW - come Wassailing at Shenley Park. Meet in the Stanley Lord Orchard. If coming by car, please park use the car park adjacent to the Shenley Tearooms. Grid Ref 518186E 200560N (TL 181 005). 6.30-8pm. Contact 01923 852629 or visit www.shenleypark.co.uk
Saturday 5 January 2008 - Rivers Nursery Orchard, Sawbridgeworth - Wassail the community orchard with traditional music and refreshments. 6.30-8pm. See www.riversnurseryorchard.org.uk for more information
LINCOLNSHIRE
Sunday 20 January 2008 - the orchards at Skidbrooke Cider Company, The Grange, Skidbrooke, Nr Louth, Lincolnshire LN11 7DH - the 25th annual Wassail at the Skidbrooke Cider Co. will be held from 11am together with the Grimsby Morris men and followed by a plough play and dancing at the nearby Prussian Queen pub. Contact: 01507 339368 or email skidbrookecyder@tiscali.co.uk or www.skidbrookecyder.com
LONDON
Sunday 6 January 2008 - Bankside by Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre – Twelfth Night with the Lion's Part Theatre Co. A celebration of the New Year mixing ancient traditions with contemporary festivity:
The Holly Man from the Thames : To herald the celebration, the extraordinary Holly Man, the Winter guise of the Green Man (from our pub signs, pagan myths and folklore), decked in fantastic green garb and evergreen foliage, appears from the River Thames brought by the Thames Cutter, Master Shipbroker (subject to the weather).
The Bankside Wassails : With the crowd, led by the Bankside Mummers, the Holly Man will 'bring in the green' and 'wassail' or toast the people and the River Thames (an old tradition encouraging good growth) with our London Town Crier. The Globe will be wassailed in like fashion.
The Mummers Play : The Mummers will then process to the Bankside Jetty, and perform the traditional 'freestyle' Folk Combat Play of St. George, featuring the Turkey Sniper, Clever Legs, the Old 'Oss and many others, dressed in their spectacular 'guizes'. The play is full of wild verse and boisterous action, a time-honoured part of the season recorded from the Crusades.
King Bean and Queen Pea : cakes distributed at the end of the play have a Bean and a Pea hidden in two of them. Those who find them are hailed King and Qeen for the day and crowned with ceremony. They then lead the people through the streets to the historic George Inn in Borough High Street for a fine warming up with storytellng, the Kissing Wishing Tree and more dancing.
Twelfth Nightis free and accessible to all. Contact: +44(0)20 8452 3866, info[at]thelionspart.co.uk or see www.thelionspart.co.uk
NORFOLK
Saturday 12 January 2008 - Kenninghall Wood, signposted from the Red Lion - Wassailing the orchard at Kenninghall Wood which was planted in 1999 as a communty wood of five and a half acres of native trees includin a one acre orchard containing many Norfolk varieties. Bring your own lamp and torch. Organised by the Kenninghal Land Trust. 5.30pm. Contact: lands-trust[at]kenninghall.org.uk or see www.kenninghall-landstrust.org.uk
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
Saturday 5 January 2008 - Daventry Country Park - Wassail the young orchard with music, a procession, hot appley food and drink and singing of the traditional wassail. 1-2pm. Contact: Dewi Morris, Countryside Ranger on 01327 302485
SOMERSET
Montacute House (National Trust), Montacute TA15 6XP - Wassail with Albion Horns band. Further details to follow. Contact: 01935 823289 or see www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Thursday 17 January 2008 - Somerset Rural Life Museum, Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury - a traditional celebration of Old Twelfth Night in the Abbey Barn. Wassailing the orchard by candlelight accompanied by live music from the Somerset Levellers, and mulled cider and apple cake. 7-9pm. Tickets in advance: Adult £6.00 Child £3.00. Contact: 01458 831197
Thursday 17 January 2008 - Rich's Cider Barn, Mill Farm, Watchfield, Highbridge TA9 4RD - Charity Wassail in aid of the Air Ambulance. Scrumpy & Western band The Mangledwurzels will be playing two 45 minute sets. 8pm. Contact: 01278 783651
Thursday 17 January 2008 - Butchers Arms, Carhampton - claims the longest unbroken wassailing tradition in England. Slices of toast soaked in cider are put in the apple trees behind the pub, the Carhampton Wassailling song is sung, guns are fired to ward off evil spirits, and cider is poured around the trees roots. Then back in the pub for live music. An event enjoyed by the local community. Advised to get to the pub by around 7pm, wassailing starts around 8pm. Contact 01643 821333 or info[at]butchersarmscarhampton.co.uk
Thursday 17 January 2008 - Barrington Court (National Trust), near Ilminster - wassailing Barrington Courts extensive cider apple orchards. Further information from 01460 243124 or see www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Thursday 17 January 2008 - Rich's Cider, Mill Farm, Watchfield, Highbridge TA9 4RD - see www.richscider.co.uk
Saturday 19 January 2008 - Horfield Organic Community Orchard, Horfield Allotments, off King's Drive, Bristol - Wassailing the community orchard, with mulled cider, apple juice and cakes & Morris dancing. 2-4pm. Contact: 0117 924 8124 or pauline.markovits[at]blueyonder.co.uk
Saturday 19 January 2008 - Wilkins Cider, Mudgley - 6.30pm
SURREY
Saturday 5 January 2008 - Carshalton - Wassailing, details to follow. See www.strawjack.co.uk
SUSSEX
Saturday 5 January 2008 - the Vine Pub, Tarring High Street, Tarring, Worthing - join Sompting Village Morris and gather around an apple tree to shout, sing, and chant so that evil spirits are driven away. Cider soaked bread is thrust into the tree's branches as a thanks offering. Apple trees are toasted with mugs of wassail and hot cider. 8pm. Contact: 01903 202891 or see www.s-v-m.freeserve.co.uk
Saturday 5 January 2008 - White Horse, Maplehurst & JB's Cider Orchard - starting 7.30 at White Horse, Maplehurst and processing to the orchard with Broadwood Morris.
Saturday 12 January 2008 - Middle Farm, Firle - Wassailing at the home of the National Collection of Cider & Perry. To see how it went last year see: www.huntersmoonmorris.co.uk and for more about Middle Farm see: www.middlefarm.com
WARWICKSHIRE
Sunday 20 January 2008 - Garden Organic, Ryton - see Elephant up a Pole performing their traditional wassailing ceremony in the organic orchard to encourage a good harvest. 12pm to 2.30pm. Normal admission charges apply: Adult £6 (includes one child admission free), concession £5.50, additional child £3.00 (age 5-16), Under 5s free. Contact: 024 7630 8202, events[at]gardenorganic.org.uk or see www.gardenorganic.org.uk
YORKSHIRE
13 JANUARY 2008 - Pickering Road Community Orchard, Hull - Pickering Road Community Orchard will be holding their first wassail at 1.30 p.m. There will be hot apple tea and apple juice to keep the cold out, mulled cider with toast for the trees and robins. The Raving Maes will be Morris dancing and Derek of Doncaster will be the Master of Ceremony. So bring a noisy instrument and help to scare away the evil spirits. The orchard contains 400 trees on two acres and was planted in 2003/4 by volunteers. There are 24 varieties some of which date from the 1700's. Directions: follow the A63 from the Humber Bridge to Five Ways Pub roundabout. Turn right onto Pickering Road and right again onto Cranberry Way. Contact: ygrindley[at]yahoo.co.uk
