The Maypole, Wellow

Image: © Alan Murray-Rust Taken: 1 Jun 2014

One of around 70 remaining traditional maypoles in the country, and one of a handful where the tradition of dancing is maintained. This takes place at the Spring Bank Holiday weekend, which was a few days before my visit, and the ring of worn grass is still evident. The maypole itself is not particularly old, there being a history of renewals a successive examples have become life expired. Recorded history of the maypole dates back to 1856, and new poles were erected in 1860, 1887 (Golden Jubilee), 1923 (reduced in height in 1937), 1950, 1966, 1977 and 2010. Until 1977 all the poles had been of timber, but by then finding suitable long timber was problematical, and the replacement that year was a steel pole. The 2010 replacement is again a tubular steel pole. Uniquely it is not circular, but has 18 sides.

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