| Where: | Formerly Dunster, Somerset at the Luttrell Arms on the High Street and still at Axmouth, Devon at the Harbour Inn on Church Street |
| When: | 24th December |
| Time: | Evening: Formerly 8pm Dunster, 7pm-ish Axmouth (double check with the pub near the time for confirmation as it can vary a little year on year) |
The Ashen Faggot is a West Country Christmas custom – it’s a large log with withies bound around it to make a bundle which is burned indoors in the hearth. A sip is consumed as each withy breaks in the flames, which sounds like an excuse for a good drink! The practice still survives in a few country pubs notably the Harbour Inn at Axmouth in Devon, when the burning normally takes place on Christmas Eve (in some other locations it takes place on January 5th or 17th which are Old Christmas Eve and Old Twelfth Night respectively, if you adhere to the pre-Gregorian calendar). In recent years the Dunster custom has ceased for insurance reasons, but it used to be at the Lutrell Arms, also on Christmas Eve. At Dunster the faggot consisted of twelve thick sticks bound in a bundle using ash withies and the Dunster Carol was sung while it burned in the vast fireplace in a revived custom dating back to the 1930s but with much older roots. At Axmouth a six-foot-long faggot is constructed in a bundle of hazel twigs, filling the fireplace; as the faggot burns carol singing and recitations take place.
Helpful Hints
The event at Dunster hasn’t happened now for a few years for safety and insurance reasons so I conclude it’s custom that has lapsed. If you hear of a revival please let me know! The Luttrell Arms is a hotel with long history and played its part in the English Civil Wars.
The Harbour is a picturesque thatched pub and the event is public – you don’t need to be a resident or diner to take part. Timing is announced very near the date so I’d advise checking direct with the pub- it can be anywhere between 7 and 8.30 and the Faggot may burn quickly and you wouldn’t want to miss it!
When we went to Dunster in 2015, the burning was late because the landlord wanted to wait for the fire to die down before placing the faggot in the hearth (a tradition he didn’t want to repeat was that of the chimney catching fire which has happened several times before!).
Click here for Dunster: https://www.facebook.com/TheLuttrellArmsHotel and https://www.luttrellarms.co.uk/contact/
and here for Axmouth: https://www.facebook.com/HarbourInnAx/
Photo by Simon Wood.
Leave a Reply