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Maypoles of the Thames Valley |
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England & Wales |
International |
Thames Valley & Chilterns
| SO8405 | Stroud | Paganhill This maypole was erected in May 2004, preserving a tradition in Paganhill dating back to the mid 17th century. It was made possible by the generosity of Mr Tim Lodge and celebrated Stroud's 700th birthday. This fibreglass pole replaced the previous wooden ones which were painted or replaced each Whit Monday and danced around by local children. |
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| SU2791 | Longcot | The last remaining maypole in The Vale was said to be at Longcot . Men from the surrounding villages of Uffington, Ashbury and Lambourne would steal it and terrible fights would break out. When the Uffington gang resorted to boiling water, the parson, fearing further bloodshed, ordered it cut up for firewood to be given to the poor at Christmas. | . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SU4388 | Ardington | Maypole Clump (on downs south of village) | . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SU4996 | Abingdon | Market Place | . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SU5267 | Thatcham | A Drawing of 1833 shows a tall maypole in the village centre. | . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SU5865 | Aldermaston | Mentioned as late as 1890. | . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SU7173 | Reading | St. Laurence's Church: May Bower set up in church door and a stand erected to seat spectators. Church accounts read: 1498-9: It(em) rec(eived) of the gaderyng of Robin Hood. 1501-2: It rec of the May Play callyd Robyn Hod on the fayre day. 1529: It to the carpynt for ij days toi make a lader of the May Pole and for hys mete and drynk. 1557: It. payed for a supper to Robyn Hood and his company when he cam from ffynchamsted. | . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SU7575 | Sonning | Sonning Churchard : c1569 "The church wardens of Sonning time out of mind have used one time in the year to set a summer pole within the churchyard aand there nto make a pastime for the commodity of the church, which thing our Vicar now denyeth to be used without his licence" Traditional revels were connected with Saint Siric. | . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SU7472 | Earley | St. Peters
School. May Day celebrations held 1909 - 1958. One of the
many school May Days up and down the country inspired by the events at
Whitelands Teacher Training College (1880s to present
day) Origin of Earley Folk Dance Group See History of Group |
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| SU8571 | Binfield | Stag & Hounds
Pub An Elm tree once marked the centre of Old Windsor Forest. The dead stump stood outside the Stag and Hounds pub in Binfield until quite recently. It is said that Queen Elizabeth I, during one of her royal progresses, watched from an upstairs window of the old hunting lodge as the local people danced around the maypole on the green. Picture shows tall maypole as it may have looked on the green, the old tree stump is just to the right of the building (2001) |
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| SU9181 | Burnham | The Maypole Inn , Maypole Road |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SU9676 | Windsor | Peascod Street. Maypole and Parish church from a drawing by Wenceslaus Hollar c 1666. |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SU9550 | Worplesdon |
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| SU9893 | Chalfont St.Giles | Maypole Dancers : Adult Team | . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SU9949 | Guildford | Maypole: Stood at the
junction of the London and Epsom Roads. In 2 sections with cross trees, it
stood like a ships mast. Distances to and from Guildford were measured
from it. It still stood in the 1840's although associated celebrations had
ceased. Summer Pole: Erected in the Castle grounds every year. |
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| TQ0073 | Wraysbury | A tall maypole with a peacock vane stood until the middle of the 19th century. | . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TQ0075 | Horton | A large Elm Tree stood on the village green and there was a tradition that it was planted to commemorate the death of a child from the Crown Inn opposite who was accidentally killed when the maypole fell on this spot. | . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TQ0764 | Weybridge | Oil painting by unknown local artist of
maypole dancing c1750 at Monument Green. Elmbridge Museum Weybridge |
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| TQ1869 | Kingston | The town maypole was in the Apple
Market. Kingston Museum has a reproduction of the 16th century window from Betley Hall, Staffordshire showing a
maypole and morris dancers.
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| TQ2273 | Roehampton | Roehampton University continue the May Day Festivals started by John Ruskin at Whitelands in 1881 (see below). A May Monarch is elected every year and maypole dancing takes place. | . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TQ2677 | Chelsea | Cremorne Gardens: Illustrated London News 1858 This delightful place of public resort was on Thursday evening (last week) the centre of great attaction, and was crowded by a brilliant company, who were brought together to testify their admiration of the manner in which the spirited proprietor - Mr. T. Simpson, who took his benefit on this occasion - has managed these gardens. As early as three o'clock the gardens were open to the public, when maypole and morris dancing, such as delighted our ancestors, took place in the gardens, which were exquisitely decorated with flags and banners, intended, but for the inauspiciious state of the weather, to have cast a lustre upon the aristocratic fete of the 9th of July. Following the entertainments which we have mentioned, there was slack and tight rope dancing, the drawing-room performances of the Fillis family, and the extraordinary musical marvels of the Brothers Daniels, who perform on the violin in every attitude of Ernst or Paganini, which greatly delighted their audiences. The Marionettes danced and sang as marionettes can only do, when directed by Hugo Vamp. There was the Cirque Orientale, with equaestrians of every nation and clowns of every clime - Wallett, the Queen's Jester, being the leading attraction amongst mimics. It would be in vain to attempt to enumerate all the attractions which Cremorne presented. Bands were perambulating the gardens; and dancers were plying their nimble feet with more zest than usual, because a carpet had been laid down emblazoned with armorial bearings of the ladies patronesses of the late fete. Fireworks - what fireworks we need not say - followed ; and one of the most laughable of ballets, "The Rendevous" wound up the entertainments. As the evening advanced mso did the company increase, and Mr. Simpson must indeed have had a real benefit. The spot chosen for Illustration is the Lawn, one of the prettiest portions of the grounds, and one on which great attention is bestowed to preserve the beauty of its appearance during summer. The Italian building at the back is a very artistic elevation, and is used for the performance of the Marionettes, which were introduced into England by Mr. Simpson in 1852, and is of sufficient dimensions to contain 1000 persons. |
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| TQ2678 | Chelsea | Whitelands College.
John Ruskin suggested the election of a May Queen
to distribute the books he donated to the
college each year. This developed into an elaborate ceremony (the first one
was held in 1881). Maypole dancing with ribbons was introduced to the proceedings probably
from nearby Cremorne Gardens (by someone who obviously frequented the establishment). The
first printed instructions appeared in 1884.
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| TQ2777 | Chelsea | Ranelagh Gardens: Jubilee Ball 24th May 1759. Birthday of George III (then Prince of Wales) |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TQ2880 | London | Mayfair: Site of the famous May Fair held during the first 2 weeks of May on Great Brookfield near Hyde Park. Starting during the reign of James II (when it was situated by a rural crossroads) it was eventually swallowed up by an expanding London in the 18th century. It experienced a large degree of curtailment during the reign of Queen Anne, who thoroughly disapproved. |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TQ3080 | London | St Mary le Strand: A maypole stood on the site of the Church of St. Mary
Le Strand. The pole was pulled down by puritans, re-erected in 1661 and
finally became part of the base for Sir Issac Newton's telescope in
1717.
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| TQ3381 | London | St Andrew
Undershaft:Now overshadowed by futuristic buildings in the City
of London, St. Andrew's Church, Cornhill, was named "Undershaft"
in the 15th century because of the tall maypole erected nearby
every May Day. When not in use the pole was hung up along
Shaft Alley. The custom was discontinued after 1517 when a riot broke out
amongst city apprentices angered at the use of cheap foreign workers. |
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| TQ3877 | Greenwich | Old Royal Naval College. A May Fayre is
held each year with Maypole Dancing, Music, Punch and Judy, Green Man,
various stalls etc. Greenwich was also the site of a May Fair until 1870. |
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| TQ4863 | Orpington | Maypole Road | . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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England & Wales |
International |
