August Calendar: Thames Valley

July

August

1	Lammas	The Waterman's Derby: Thames, London.
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2	St. Sidwell's Day	.
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5	St. Oswald's Day	Church-clipping: Guisley, Yorkshire.
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6	St. Anne's Day	Former Tan Hill Fair: nr Devizes, Wiltshire.
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AUG First Week Sun Rises 0524 Sets 2048 BST
1st Week: Sidmouth Folk Festival: Devon
Aug: The Champion Town Crier of England Competition: Hastings, Sussex
Sun nearest 2: Church-clipping: Burbage, Derbyshire.
Sat nearest 5: Rushbearing: St. Oswalds Church, Grasmere, Cumbria.
Sat before 1st Mon: St. Wilfrid's Feast Procession: Ripon, Yorkshire.
1st Sun: St. Benet's Abbey Blessing: Norfolk.
1st Mon: Well Dressing: Bradwell, Derbyshire.
1st Wed: Knights of the Old Green Bowling Competition: Southampton. Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady: Hastings Castle, Sussex.
1st Week: Grand Wardmote Archery Competition: Meriden near Coventry.

8	St. Lide's Day	.
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10	St. Lawrence's Day.	Former date: Priddy Sheep Fair, Somerset.
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.	Old Lammas Eve.	.
12	The Glorious Twelfth.	Mitcham Fair: Surrey.
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13	St. Hippolytus' Day	.
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AUG Second Week Sun Rises 0535 Sets 2036 BST

The 3 days before 2nd Mon: Cranham Feast: Gloucestershire. .
Sun nearest 12: Rush-bearing: Forest Chapel, Cheshire.
Mon after 12: Marhamchurch Revel: Cornwall
2nd Mon: Former Horncastle Fair: Lincolnshire

15	Feast of the Assumption.	Former East Ilsley Sheep Fair, Berkshire.
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16	St. Roch's Day	.
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18	St. Helen's Day	.
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20	St. Philbert's Day	Filbert nut harvest starts today.
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21	.	Beating the Bounds: Newport, Pembroke.
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AUG Third Week Sun Rises 0546 Sets 2023 BST
3rd Week: Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales
The Green Man Festival: Glanusk Park
2nd Weekend after 12: Rush-bearing Festival: Saddleworth Moor
15: On St. Mary's Day sunshine Brings much and good wine.
Thu nearest 20: The Grasmere Sports: Cumbria.
Mid August: Coracle Week: Cilgerran, Cardiganshire
Wed nearest 21: Priddy Sheep Fair , Somerset

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24	St. Bartholomew's Day	"At St. Bartholomew, there comes cold dew"
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26	St. Ninian's Day	.
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27	St. Hugh's Day	.
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29	Beheading of St. John the Baptist.	Former Whittingham Fair: Northumberland
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31	St. Aiden's Day	.
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AUG Last Week Sun Rises 0557 Sets 2008 BST

24: St. Bartholomew's Bun Race: St. Bart's Hospital, Sandwich, Kent.
Sat nearest 24: Burning Bartle: West Witton, Yorkshire.
Sun on or after 24: Cow's head Wakes Festival: Westhoughton near Wigan.
29: Kirby Hill Races: near Richmond, Yorkshire. Beca Mountain Race: Presili Mountains, Pembrokeshire
Former Whittingham Fair: Northumberland The song about this fair later became "Scarborough Fair".
Last Sun: Plague Service: Eyam, Derbyshire
Last Week: Well Dressing: Eyam, Derbyshire
Last Fri: Crying the Neck: Helston, Cornwall.

Late August: The Water games: Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire. The Aunt Sally Championships: Oxford

	Lammas Growth: Oak trees often sprout new leaves around this time, named after the feast of lammas (Loaf Mass) when the first ripe corn was given to the church to make Communion bread for the thanksgiving service. There was once a Lamb Mass held at St. Peter's Cathedral York. Sheep Fairs were often held at this time of year.
	Blackberries: Blackberries start to ripen at the start of August but picking really gets underway after the middle of the month.