Gawthorpe Maypole procession
When: 5th May 2018
Where: Gawthorpe, West Yorkshire
£: Free to watch
What is it?
This year’s Gawthorpe Maypole will take place on Saturday 5th May with a procession, traditional May Queen and Maypole plaiting.
Gawthorpe is a village in West Yorkshire, which is also home to the quirky World Coal Carrying Championships.
Gawthorpe’s Mayday celebrations are thought to date back to at least the 1850s, when a permanent Maypole was erected on the village green, created from a seventy-foot fir tree. Maypole dancing was taught at the local school, with intricate dances taking about six months to learn.
Today, the celebrations include a four and a half mile procession around the local area, featuring decorated floats, brass bands, street entertainers, local children and characters in fancy dress.
This year’s procession will begin at 2pm, and the Maypole plaiting will take place at 5.30pm on the Maypole Green.
More info: www.gawthorpemaypole.org.uk and www.facebook.com/groups