Here we go a-wassailing
Trustee Rosie MacGregor wrote this lovely piece for Folk Life and we thought it would be a good idea to also share it here.
There has been a massive resurgence across the west country in recent years in the ancient tradition of wassailing and celebrating the fruit of the apple tree. A fine thing indeed. Wiltshire may not be noted for its apple orchards or for traditional cider making, unlike the neighbouring counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire and Dorset but there are some historic orchards as well as small-scale cider makers too. Added to which it is great fun and surely there doesn’t need to be an excuse to revive interest in the ancient ‘pagan’ or Anglo-Saxon practice of wassailing. English reserve is cast aside to encourage an abundance of fruits of the orchard, heartened perhaps by thoughts of cider and apple brandy.
So back in 2017 Bradford on Avon Preservation Trust under the expert guidance of folk musician Nick Nicholls (he was at school with Martin Carthy) embarked on, not so much a revival of this ancient art because there is no evidence of wassails taking place here, but an invention on the last Saturday in January. Traditionally wassails being held on twelfth night, or more accurately the 17th of the month; old twelfth night before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1752.
The location for this new festivity could not be better, adjacent to one of the most spectacular historic sites in the town. The massive 14th century Tithe Barn, once owned by the Nuns of Shaftesbury, takes centre stage together with an ancient Granary, West Barn and other historic buildings surrounding a former Stack Yard. Owned in part by English Heritage and the Preservation Trust. This group of buildings is one of England’s greatest examples of a medieval monastic farmstead.
An orchard was planted some years ago alongside this site. Called the Hens’ Orchard in memory of two feisty women, Elizabeth Stephenson and Katherine MacKean who were founders of the local Preservation Trust. They formed The Trust in 1964 to oppose and prevent further wholescale demolition of many of the historic buildings in the town by the former Urban District Council as ‘slum clearances’. The two women ran an antique shop in the town called The China Hen and locals with deference rather than humour referred to them as The China Hens!
Dare I say that one member of the Trust, now long deceased, once told me back in the early 1980s that he thought of me and another young woman Trustee as The China Chicks! It was inappropriate so I feigned annoyance and told him off in no uncertain terms but must admit I was faintly amused! Different times!!
The Wassail is now firmly fixed in the Bradford on Avon calendar and each January attracts several hundred town’s people to enjoy music and song, cider, apple juice and spiced apple cake. A brazier installed in the centre of the Stack Yard with blazing logs is a welcome treat in the cold of winter.
A local cider maker from a farm close by has in the past served this popular beverage. Not so 2023 due to lack of the necessary licence to sell alcohol - whoops! Spirits may have been dampened slightly but long queues still formed for non-alcoholic drinks and apple cake.
The ceremony began with dances performed by Bell’s Angels, female Cotswold Morris side from Holt, followed by Bath based Widcombe Mummers performing a short play attended by a diverse range of Wassail Princesses, a King, a Hobby Horse, venerable folk musicians and singers. They sang the Gloucestershire Wassail (well Bradford on Avon is close to the border and geographically as well as geologically within the Cotswolds). The Birch Tree Folk Choir led singing of the specially written Hen’s Orchard Wassail Song composed by Anne Gregson and poet Keri Hendy:
Follow the music
Follow the band
All around the orchard
All around the land
Chorus:
Come sing wassail
Sing wassail
Awaken the trees
With our wassail
Blossom in the springtime
Brings the honeybee
Fruits in the autumn
Grow on every tree
Apple and pear and
Walnuts and cherry
Damson and plum
Will make us all merry
Here’s a little cider
Made last year
From our wassail
Bowl to share
Cider on your branches
Cider on your roots
Well may you blossom
And well may you fruit
Bless the Hen’s Orchard
Spirit of the trees
Bless the robin redbreast
And the honeybees
The assorted throng then processed from the Tithe Barn to the adjoining orchard to carry out various incantations, pour cider over the roots, hang cider-soaked toast on the branches and sing to the trees. This was followed by a clamour of banging drums, saucepans and other kitchen implements to waken the trees from their winter slumber, drive away evil spirits and encourage an abundant harvest. This isn’t a conventional apple orchard and there are fruit trees of all types here but it seems to work because every year there is an abundance of fruit. Well done to all concerned.
Having spent my career in architecture and the historic built environment I have always been wary of pastiche but in this instance appropriation of the wassailing custom is forgivable. Its roots are firmly planted in tradition even if this isn’t a traditional wassail as such. It is a praiseworthy event, family friendly and above all fun and colourful in contrast to the gloomy winter weather.
The word Wassail may have originated from the Nordic greeting “waes hael” meaning “be in good health”. It might have worked for the trees but my body needed to recover. I headed off into the dark to another great British tradition – haddock and chips from the local chippie. My excuse, the downside of an open-air event that lasted for two hours in January, I was very cold and hungry.
Written by Rosie MacGregor
