Folklore Destinations
by Ben Johnson
We have compiled an alphabetical listing of the more ‘interesting’ destinations that you may wish to visit within the UK.
The more sinister sites are denoted with a reddish shade, whilst those involving the church have a hue of blue and those associated with folk & legend have a tint of green.
Readers should always check with local Tourist Information Centres (TIC’s) that events or festivals are actually taking place before setting out to attend.
Destination | Folklore, Custom or Legend |
Abbots Ann, Hampshire | The custom of hanging the ‘Maidens Garlands’ in the local church in memory of deceased virgins dates back to the early eighteenth century. |
Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire | The ancient Horn Dance takes place here each September. |
Abbotsbury, Dorset | Garland Day is still celebrated here each May |
Abingdon, Oxfordshire | The traditional election of the Mayor of Ock Street is held in mid-July. |
Adderbury Oxfordshire | Local folklore connects the Devil with the church spire. |
Alfriston, Susex | The shape of the Church of St Andrews is said to have been inspired by four oxen. |
Allendale, Northumberland | Tubs of blazing tar are carried through the streets during the New Year’s Eve Fire Festival. |
Alnwick, Northumberland | Traditional Shrove Tuesday Football is played annually. |
Ambleside, Cumbria | A rush-bearing ceremony takes place on the last Sunday in July. |
Appleby-in-Westmorland | Britain’s largest horse-fair takes place in June. |
Ashbourne, Derbyshire | Shrovetide Football is played with goal a mere 3 miles apart. The village is also know for well-dressing. |
Ashford, Derbyshire | The tradition of well-dressing takes place in May. |
Aston on Clun, Shropshire | Arbor Day celebrations take place in May. |
Athelney, Somerset | King Alfred hid from his enemies and burned those famous cakes when sheltering in a cottage here. |
Atherstone, Warwickshire | A venue for the annual Shrovetide Football event. |
Bacup, Lancashire | Famous for the mildly eccentric ‘Nutters Dance’! |
Badbury Rings, Dorset | An Iron Age hillfort associated with Mount Badon, where King Arthur defeated the Saxons. |
Bakewell, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place in June. |
Bamburgh Castle, Nothumbria | Associated with the legends of Sir Lancelot, also the haunt of the Laidley Worm. |
Bampton, Oxfordshire | The Bampton Morris Men annually celebrate Whit Monday in style. |
Bardney, Lincolnshire | A shaft of holy light appeared before the monks of Bardney when they refused to accept the bones of St Oswald. |
Barlow, Derbyshire | The well-dressing tradition is practised every August. |
Barnsdale, Yorkshire | Believed by many to be the true home of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. |
Barrowden, Leicestershire | A traditional rush-bearing ceremony takes place here each June. |
Barwick-in-Elmet | Famous for its Maypole dancing event. |
Baslow, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place here each July. |
Bath, Somerset | Associated with legend of the leper Prince Bladud, who discovered the healing power of the spa. |
Berden, Hertfordshire | The annual ceremony of the enthroning of the Boy Bishops takes place here each December. |
Berkeley, Gloucestershire | The Witch of Berkeley was carried away to hell by the Devil on a horse covered with spikes. |
Berry Pomeroy, Devon | Preferring death to dishonour, two brothers rode their horses off the castle ramparts after a failed rebellion attempt. |
Berwick-upon-Tweed | The annual ceremony of Blessing the Salmon Nets takes place here each February. |
Biddenden, Kent | In memory of a pair of Siamese twins, the Biddenden Dole gifts are distributed each Easter Sunday. |
Bideford, Devon | Each New Year’s Day, at the custom known as Andew’s Dole, loaves of bread are given out. |
Biggar, Strathclyde | Each New Year’s Eve a traditional celebration known as ‘Burning the Old Year Out’ takes place. |
Blidworth, Nottinghamshire | A cradle-rocking ceremony takes place each February in the local church. |
Bloxham, Oxfordshire | A local legend connects the Devil with the church spire. |
Blythburgh, Suffolk | Back in 1577, evil spirits came a calling at Blythburgh’s Church of the Holy Trinity. |
Bonsall, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place here each July. |
Bourne, Lincolnshire | The annual running auction is held each Easter Monday. |
Braemar, Grampian | The Royal Highland Gathering meets each September. |
Bradwell, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place here each July. |
Brandeston, Suffolk | The Witchfinder-General Mathew Hopkins, sentenced the Rev’d John Lowes to be hanged for witchcraft in 1645. |
Braunton, Devon | Braunton’s first church was founded by St Brannoc, who had sailed from Wales in a stone coffin. |
Bristol, Somerset | Each Whit Sunday a rush-bearing procession takes place at St Mary Redcliffe’s Church. |
Brockworth, Gloucestershire | Each Spring Bank Holiday cheeses are rolled down Cooper’s Hill. |
Bromsgrove, Worcestershire | Associated with a legend that involves the slaying of a magical boar by Sir Rylas. The head appears on the towns’ coat of arms. |
Buckland, Surrey | The village was once terrorised by a fearsome creature known as the Buckland Shag. |
Burghead, Grampian | An ancient fire festival known as the ‘Burning the Clavie’ is celebrated each January. |
Buxton, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place here each June. |
Cadbury Castle, Somerset | The Iron Age hillfort believed by many to be the most likely site of King Arthur’s Camelot. |
Calder Valley, Yorkshire | The traditional Pace-Egg Play is performed each Good Friday. |
Callington, Cornwall | The ancient Christian Depth Well is signposted from the village centre |
Canewdon, Essex | A local legend connects the tower of St Nicholas’s Church with seven witches. |
Carhampton, Somerset | The tradition of Wassailing the cider apple trees is held on the Old Twelfth Night. |
Carlisle, Cumbria | Several Arthurian legends are connected to the city. |
Carmarthen, Dyfed | Celebrated as where Merlin’s Oak grew, also for Job’s Healing Well. |
Castleton, Derbyshire | Garland King Day celebrates Charles II’s escape from the Roundheads each May. |
Chanctonbury Ring, Sussex | A hillfort linked with legends of buried treasure, druids and the Devil himself. |
Charing, Kent | The Hooden Horse celebrations are thought to have been brought to Kent by the invading Jutes. |
Charlton-on-Otmoor, Oxfordshire | Traditional May Day celebrations include Garland Dressing and Maypole dancing. |
Chelmorton, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place each June. |
Chelmsford, Essex | One of the most infamous sites associated with the witchcraft trials. |
Chester, Cheshire | The Miracle Plays take place in July every fifth year. The next is scheduled for 2018. |
Chester-le-Street, Durham | The Shrove Tuesday football match is an annual event. |
Chichester, Sussex | Blessing the Plough Ceremony takes place on the first Sunday following Twelfth Night. |
Christchurch, Hampshire | Local legend recalls how divine intervention helped to construct the town’s priory church. |
Cilgerran, Cardiganshire | Venue for the annual coracle races that take place each August. |
Cleator Moor, Cumbria | Pilgrims arrive to pray at the replica shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. |
Combe Martin, Devon | Over the Spring Bank Holiday the village practices the seventeenth century custom of ‘The Hunting of the Earl of Rone’. |
Comrie, Tayside | ‘Burning the Old Year Out’ is celebrated each 31st December. |
Constable Sands, Cheshire | These sand bars on the River Dee commemorate a miracle by St Werburga. |
Corfe Castle, Dorset | King Edward the Martyr was murdered here by order of his stepmother. |
Cottingley, West Yorkshire | Setting for those controversial ‘Cottingley Fairies’ photographs. |
Coventry, West Midlands | Site of Lady Godiva’s naked ride. |
Deerhurst, Gloucestershire | For years the townsfolk lived in fear of a dragon until it was slain. |
Derwentwater, Cumbria | St Herbert’s Isle in Derwentwater is named after the holy hermit who once lived there. |
Devil’s Bridge, Cumbria | Legend tells that the Devil built the bridge across the River Lune in order to trap an old woman. |
Devil’s Dyke, Sussex | An old woman saved the local folk by outwitting the Devil |
Dewsbury, Yorkshire | A bell known as Black Tom tolls every Christmas Eve to keep the Devil from the streets of Dewsbury. |
Dilston, Northumberland | Linked with supernatural occurrences after the Jacobite leader James Radcliffe was beheaded in London. |
Dore, Yorkshire | Well-dressing takes place here each July. |
Duloe, Cornwall | Site of St Cuby’s holy well. |
Dunmow, Essex | Each leap year the Dunmow Flitch Trial is held in order to establish the couple who share marital bliss. |
Dunster, Somerset | Hobby Horse celebrations take place each May Day. |
East Dereham, Norfolk | Site of a convent founded by St Withburga in the seventh century. Her holy well and shrine are close to St Nicholas’s church. |
Ebernoe, Sussex | Site of the Horn Fair held each July. |
Edenbridge, Kent | Bonfire celebrations take place on 5th November. |
Edinburgh, Lothian | The Beltane Fire Festival takes place annually. |
Edmondthorpe, Leicestershire | The effigy of local witch, Lady Ann Smith, can be seen in St Michael’s Church. It is said that she could turn herself into a cat. |
Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire | The enthronement of Boy Bishops takes place each December. |
Egremont, Cumbria | The world Gurning (face-pulling) Championships are held each September. |
Endon, Staffordshire | Site of well-dressing and the ‘Tossing the Sheaf’ event. |
Etwall, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place each May. |
Eyam, Derbyshire | Famous as a ‘Plague Village’, which is commemorated annually at an outdoor service every August. |
Eynesbury, Huntingdonshire | A local legend recalls a duel between two spear-throwing giants. |
Farne Islands, Northumberland | Evil pagan spirits were soon evicted to the outlying islands when St Cuthbert arrived there. |
Featherstone Castle, Northumberland | The setting for the legend of the phantom wedding party. |
Fenny Stratford, Buckinghamshire | The tradition of ‘Firing the Fenny Poppers’ takes place each St Martin’s Day. |
Folkestone, Kent | At various times and events during the year the Hooden Horse makes an appearance. |
Foolow, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place each August. |
Frensham, Surrey | The Legend of Mother Ludlam, a friendly old white witch who lived in a local cave close to village of Frensham. |
Fyvie Castle, Aberdeenshire | Site of the ‘Fyvie of the Weeping Stones’, the result of an ancient curse. |
Gawthorpe, Yorkshire | The May Day celebrations include Maypole dancing, and the May Queen procession. |
Glastonbury, Somerset | The oldest Christian site in Britain, legendary burial place of King Arthur and an even more ancient Leycentre. |
Grasmere, Cumbria | Every July a rush-bearing procession and church ceremony takes place. |
Great Corby, Cumbria | The castle is associated with the Radiant Boy, one of England’s best known ghosts. |
Great Melton, Norfolk | Associated with sightings of ghostly horse-drawn coach with headless coachman and passengers. |
Great Wishford, Wiltshire | Each May villagers gather to celebrate Oak Apple Day. |
Griffydam, Leicestershire | The griffin that terrorised the village was eventually put to the sword by a knight. |
Griston, Norfolk | Wayland Wood is the supposed setting for the Babes in the Wood folk-tale. |
Guiseley, Yorkshire | St Oswald’s is the setting for the custom of Clipping the Church each August. |
Hallaton, Leicestershire | Venue for the Easter Monday Bottle Kicking and Hare Pie Scramble. |
Handale, Yorkshire | Home of the Serpent of Handale, a local dragon that developed an unhealthy appetite for the village womenfolk. |
Hartington, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place each September. |
Harland Point, Devon | Mass is celebrated by St Nectan’s holy well in June. |
Haselbury Plucknett, Somerset | Once the home of the animal loving St Wulfric. |
Hastings, Sussex | The traditional Blessing the Sea ceremony is still performed just prior to Ascension Day. It is also the venue for the annual Jack-in-the-Green festival. |
Hatherleigh, Devon | Blazing tar barrels are rolled through the streets each November. |
Hathersage, Derbyshire | The local churchyard is said to be the final resting place of Robin Hood’s right-hand-man Little John. |
Haxley, Lincolnshire | Famous for the Haxley Hood Game, played each year on the Feast of Epiphany in January. |
Heath, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place each July. |
Hell Gill Beck, Yorkshire | Site of some stones that local legend says the Devil dropped whilst building a nearby bridge. |
Helston, Cornwall | Venue for the famous Furry Dance, which takes place each May. |
High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire | The town mayors are traditionally weighed in order to check their diligence. |
Hinton St George, Somerset | The venue for Punky Night celebrations each October. |
Holmwood, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place every July. |
Holywell, Cambridgeshire | The well that gave its name to the village was reputed to cure eye ailments. |
Holywell, Flintshire | Some have referred to it as ‘The Lourdes of England’. St Winefride’s Well is to be found on the edge of town. |
Holmesfield, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place every July. |
Hope, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place in June. |
Hungerford, Berkshire | A medieval custom known as The Hungerford Hocktide Festival or Tutti Day is still celebrated. |
Ickerwell Green, Bedfordshire | May Day celebrations include Maypole dancing. |
Innerleithen, Peebles | Venue for the annual Cleikum Ceremonies and burning the De’il’. |
Jarrow, Durham | Within the church of St Paul’s is a chair believed to have been used by the Venerable Bede. It was once the custom for brides to sit in the saint’s chair to enhance their fertility. |
Jedburgh, Roxborough | The famous ball game is held here each February. |
Kentchurch, Herefordshire | The home of the legendary Jack o’ Kent, who is said to have got the better of the Devil. |
Keynsham, Somerset | Legend has it that the ammonites found here are the petrified remains of snakes that St Keyne turned to stone.They still decorate some of the cottage walls in Keynsham |
Kilve, Somerset | Once frequented by the fearsome Blue Ben, a dragon, said to have been the mount of the Devil himself. |
King’s Lynn, Norfolk | The town is famous for its Valentine Fair. |
Kirklees Park, Yorkshire | One legend claims that Robin Hood died at the local nunnery, he was buried where his arrow landed. |
Knaresborough, Yorkshire | Britain’s most famous prophetess Mother Shipton was born in a cave on the edge of town in 1488. |
Knutsford, Cheshire | Home of the annual Royal May Day Festival. |
Lambton Castle, Durham | Legend recalls that the famous Lambton Worm, a local dragon, met its bitter end here sometime in the fifteenth century. |
Lanark, Strathclyde | Associated with the unique Whuppity Scoorie custom. |
Land’s End, Cornwall | Where the fabled land of Lyonesse once joined Britain. |
Lane End, Hampshire | The twelfth century Tichborne Dole ceremony is still practised on Lady Day each March. |
Little Cornard, Suffolk | Where two dragons fought in the fifteenth century. |
Little Salkeld, Cumbria | Site of the stone circle know as Long Meg and her daughters, said to be a petrified sabbat of witches’. |
Little Chester, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place every May. |
Litton, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place each June. |
Llanarth, Cardigan | The Devil was forced to jump from the church tower. |
Llanenddwyn, Gwynedd | The water from the well of St Enddwyn was said to be able to cure various eye and skin diseases, including King’s Evil. |
Llanfor, Merioneth | A village once terrorised by a satanic pig. |
Llangollen, Powys | Home to the International Music Eisteddfod. |
London Sites |
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Buckingham Palace | Site of the Changing of the Guard Ceremony |
Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace | Venue for the distribution of the Royal Epiphany Gifts. |
Church of St Andrew Undershaft | The John Stow Commemoration honours the famous London historian. |
City of London | The Lord Mayor’s Show takes place each November. |
St Ethelreda’s Church, Ely Place | Venue for the healing ceremony known as ‘Blessing the Throats’. |
Guildhall, City of London | Signor Pasquale Favale’s Bequest is celebrated each July.
The election of the Lord Mayor of the City of London takes place in September. |
Horse Guards Parade | The annual Trooping the Colour event takes place in June. |
London Bridge | The world’s oldest rowing event, Doggett’s Coat and Badge Race, starts from the Old Swan Pier on a day nearest to 1st August, dictated by the state of the tide. |
Mansion House | The Knolly’s Rose Ceremony is still observed each Midsummer’s Day. |
Marble Arch | The annual Tyburn Walk ends here on the last Sunday in April. |
Royal Hospital, Chelsea | Founder’s Day is celebrated each May in memory of Charles II. |
St Clement Danes | To hear the peal (or should that be peel?) of ‘Oranges and lemons say the bells of St Clemens’. |
Smithfield | Each Good Friday at the Church of St Bartholomew the Great, the annual distribution of hot cross buns takes place. |
Tower of London | Each night the Ceremony of the Keys takes place, and every three years Beating the Bounds is still practised. |
Trafalgar Square | The execution of Charles I is commemorated by a ceremony of remembrance in January. |
![]() Lord Mayor’s Show, City of London Photograph © Corporation of London |
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Long Compton, Warwickshire | It was once said that ‘There are enough witches in Long Compton to draw a load of hay up Long Compton Hill.’ |
Long Stanton, Cambridgeshire | Back in 1657 local Quakers were accused of using witchcraft to turn Margaret Pryor into a horse. |
Longor, Staffordshire | Well-dressing takes place every September. |
Lyminster, Sussex | Once the home of a dragon with an unhealthy taste for maidens. |
Marden, Hertfordshire | Site of St Ethelbert’s miraculous well. |
Marhamchurch, Cornwall | The annual Marhamchurch Revel commemorates St Marwenne, who brought Christianity to the village. |
Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire | The tower of the local church is not connected to the main building, because as legend recalls, the Devil tried to steal it. |
Meon Hill, Warwickshire | It is said that the prayers offered up by St Egwin at this site, thwarted the Devil’s attempt to destroy Evesham Abbey. |
Middleton, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place in May. |
Minehead, Somerset | Hobby Horse celebrations take place each May Day. |
Minsterley, Shropshire | It is from Minsterley that Eadric the Wild will ride from when Britain next needs his sword. |
Moneyash, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place each May. |
Mousehole, Cornwall | A prophecy made by Merlin was fulfilled, when in 1595 Spanish warships destroyed the village. |
Munlochy, Highland | One of Scotland’s famous ‘cloutie’ wells in located nearby. |
Newark, Nottinghamshire | Penny Loaf Day is celebrated each March. |
Newchurch-in-Pendle, Lancashire | The surrounding area was home to those notorious Lancashire Witches. |
Norton, Northamptonshire | St Patrick is said to have worked here as a farmer, until he became convinced that God wanted him to go to Ireland. |
Nunnington, Yorkshire | Peter Loschy, the slayer of a magical dragon is said to be buried in Nunnington Church. |
Odell, Bedfordshire | When the Devil shook the building in a rage he left his marks on the church porch. |
Olney, Buckinghamshire | From the market square to the church, the course for the famous Shrove Tuesday Pancake Race. |
Orford, Suffolk | A thirteenth-century legend recalls that a merman known as ‘The Wild Man of Orford’ was caught in the net of a local fisherman. |
Ottery St Mary, Devon | Each 5th November flaming tar barrels are rolled through the main street. |
Oxford, Oxfordshire | On May Day choristers from Magdalen College climb to the top of the college tower to sing a Latin hymn. |
Padstow, Cornwall | Site of the famous ‘Obby ‘Oss’ celebrations each May Day. |
Paganhill, Gloucestershire | An aptly named venue for May Day Maypole dancing. |
Par, Cornwall | Boy Bishops are enthroned here each December. |
Peebles, Border | Venue for the Beltane Festival, one of Scotland’s oldest Celtic celebrations. |
Pelham, Hertfordshire | Within the local churchyard is buried the dragon-slayer Piers Shonks. |
Penhale, Cornwall | Beneath the shifting Penhale Sands lie the lost town and people of Langarroc. The holy well in the village is connected with a fifth century virgin called St Keyne who performed miracles. |
Penrith, Cumbria | The giant Ewan Caesarius is buried in rather a large grave in St Andrew’s churchyard. |
Piddinghoe, Kent | Local children enjoy games and a tea party known as Little Edith’s Treat each July. |
Pluckley, Kent | Reputed to be the most haunted village in England. |
Ponteland, Northumberland | Venue for a wheelbarrow race held each New Year’s Day. |
Port Isaac, Cornwall | Near to the village lie the remains of Castle Damelioc; it was here that Gorlois, Earl of Cornwall, was slain by Uther Pendragon. |
Preston, Lancashire | Each Easter Monday the ancient custom of Pace Egging is enjoyed in Avenham Park. |
Renwick, Cumbria | “When pulling down the old church, the people were startled by a hideous monster which flew amongst the ruins …one more courageous than the rest John Tallantire – succeeded in destroying the monster.” |
Rillaton, Cornwall | The area surrounding the manor was once the ‘haunt’ of a phantom Druid. |
Roche, Cornwall | Site of a Holy Well said to contain waters for soothing the insane. |
Rothbury, Northumberland | Venue for annual Shrove Tuesday football match. |
Roslin, Midlothian | The nearby Rosslyn Chapel is renowned for its carvings, grail tourists can walk in the footsteps of the Knights Templar. |
Rowsley, Derbyshire | The site of well-dressing each June. |
Rudston, Yorkshire | Britain’s tallest monolith (standing stone), with a height of almost eight metres, is situated in the village churchyard. Legend recalls that the devil threw the stone at the nearby church but missed. |
Runswick, Yorkshire | A nearby cave called Hob Hole was once the home of a brownie that could cure whooping-cough. |
St Albans, Hertfordshire | St Alban, England’s first Christian martyr, was executed on a nearby hill. |
St Andrews, Fife | Students from the University take part in the Kate Kennedy Procession each April. |
St Bees, Cumbria | Named after St Bega, who was shipwrecked nearby. |
St Briavels, Gloucestershire | Each Whit Sunday, the Bread and Cheese Dole is distributed. |
St Columb Major, Cornwall | Hurling the Silver Ball is played each Shrove Tuesday. |
St Ives, Cornwall | The ancient game of Hurling the Silver Ball is played in honour of St Ia. |
St Ives, Huntingdonshire | A custom known as Dicing for Bibles takes place each Whit Monday. |
St Keverne, Cornwall | A custom known as Crying the Neck takes place at harvest time. |
St Keyne, Cornwall | Newly-weds race each other to the water from her well, as the first to taste it will be the dominant partner. |
St Leonard’s Forest, Sussex | Once the home of a dragon that was finally slain by St Leonard. |
St Osyth, Essex | After being found guilty of witchcraft, Ursula Kemp and Elizabeth Bennett were hanged here in 1582. |
St Weonards, Hertfordshire | The Saxon Saint Weonard is said to be buried in a golden coffin within a burial mound close to the church. |
Sedgefield, County Durham | The annual Shrovetide Football game takes place on the village green. |
Servage Wood, Somerset | Once the home of a dragon with an unhealthy appetite for ponies. |
Sewingshields, Nothumberland | One of several sites where King Arthur and his Knights are said to be lying in an enchanted sleep. |
Shapwick, Somerset | The site where a number of pilgrims were murdered by Saxons as they returned home from Rome. The crime was discovered when a miraculous beam shed light on their resting place. |
Shawcross, Derbyshire | A Shrove Tuesday football game takes place each year. |
Shebbear, Devon | The ancient custom of Turning the Devil’s Stone takes places each November. |
Shepton Mallet, Somerset | Legend claims that the Devil once came a calling with his horse and cart to take an old woman to Hell. |
Sherborne, Dorset | The Pack Monday Fair which dates back to the thirteenth century takes place each October. |
Sible Heddingham, Essex | Site of the last recorded instance of a suspected witch enduring the swimming test back in 1863. |
Southampton, Hampshire | Venue for the two hundred year old bowls tournament, the ‘Knighthood of Southampton Old Green Championship’. |
South Dalton, Yorkshire | Starting point for the ancient Kipling Cotes Derby. |
South Queensferry, West Lothian | The Burry Man makes his annual appearance at the Ferry Fair each August. |
Stanton Drew, Somerset | The site of group of megaliths, said to be petrified wedding guests are locally known as the Devil’s Wedding. |
Stogursey, Somerset | Legend recalls that pixies once lived in the nearby Bronze Age Mound known as Wick Barrow. |
Stonehaven, Grampian | A New Year’s Eve custom to ward off evil spirits includes Swinging the Fireballs. |
Stonehenge, Wiltshire | Modern Druids gather each year for midsummer celebrations. |
Stony Middleton, Derbyshire | Well-dressing site each July. |
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire | The town celebrates its most famous son’s birthday, William Shakespeare, on 23rd April. |
Sunbury, Surrey | The ancient tradition of Swan Upping takes place each year on the River Thames. |
Symondsbury, Dorset | A Mummer’s Play is staged each year on New Year’s Day. |
Talland, Cornwall | A local legend tells of a phantom coach driven by a demon. |
Thaxted, Essex | Venue for an annual Morris Dancing Festival. |
Thirwall Castle, Northumberland | Associated with a legend concerning a dwarf and a golden table. |
Thorpe, Yorkshire | The nearby Devil’s Bridge acquired its name when a shoemaker persuaded the Devil to build a bridge over the River Dibb. |
Tichborne, Hampshire | Venue for the famous Tichborne Dole custom that dates back to the twelfth century. |
Tideswell, Derbyshire | The site of well-dressing each June. |
Tinsley Green, Sussex | Venue for the annual Marble Championships. |
Tintagel, Cornwall | Legendary birthplace of King Arthur. |
Tissington, Derbyshire | Venue for well-dressing each May. |
Totnes, Devon | The still unexplained phenomena known as the Devil’s Footprints started here back in 1855. |
Tresco, Isles of Scilly | A cave known as Piper’s Hole was once the meeting place of Mermaids. |
Truro, Cornwall | Venue for a Christmas wassailing custom. |
Tunstall, Norfolk | The bells of the local church were once stolen by the Devil. |
Twyford, Hampshire | Every October the ‘Lost in the Dark Peal’ commemorates a man being saved from death by the ringing of a church bell. |
Ufton, Berkshire | Each Lent the traditional Dole is distributed to the ‘poore of Ufton’. |
Vale of the White Horse, Berkshire | The site of England’s oldest hillside horse, the Uffington White Horse. |
Wadsworth, Yorkshire | Venue for Maypole dancing each May Day. |
Walsingham, Norfolk | The shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham was a popular destination for pilgrims until it was destroyed in the Reformation. It was restored in 1931. |
Warcop, Cumbria | On St Peter’s Day in June, a rush bearing procession is held in the local church. |
Wareham, Dorset | Each November the Leet Court convenes to consider matters of local concern, the legacy of a once powerful feudal court system. |
Watton, Norfolk | A local legend recalls that following an unholy contract a ghostly coach arrived to collect the soul of George Mace. |
Welford-on-Avon, Warwickshire | Famous for its Maypole and May Day celebrations. |
West Hallam, Derbyshire | Traditional well-dressing takes place each July. |
Weston, Hertfordshire | Within the churchyard is the rather large grave of the giant Jack o’ Legs. |
West Witton, Yorkshire | Each August on St Bartholomew’s Day, the custom known as ‘Burning the Bartle’ is practised. |
Whitby, Yorkshire | In a custom dating back to 1159, local folk gather at the harbour to ‘Plant the Penny Hedge’. |
Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire | Straw Bear is celebrated here on the Saturday before Plough Monday. |
Whitwell, Derbyshire | Well-dressing takes place each July. |
Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Devon | A traditional folk song recalls that Old Uncle Tom Cobleigh once visited this Dartmoor village fair. |
Winchester, Hampshire | St Swithin the ninth century Bishop of Winchester is best remembered for his forty days of rain. |
Windsor Castle, Berkshire | The venue for an annual service dedicated to the memory of Charles I. |
Wingrave, Buckinghamshire | A hay-strewing tradition is held in the local church each July on the Sunday nearest to St Peter’s Day. |
Winster, Derbyshire | The venue for an annual pancake race since 1870. |
Wirksworth, Derbyshire | The tradition of Clipping the Church takes place each September. |
Wishford, Wiltshire | Villagers gather to preserve their Grovely Forest rights. |