| Where: | Ickwell Green and Northill, Bedfordshire: Outside the Crown at Northill, with Procession to Maypole Arena at Ickwell Green |
| When: | May Day Bank Holiday Monday |
| Time: | Northill from 11.30, Procession 1.30, Crowning 2pm |
While there are many celebrations to mark the arrival of Spring for May Day, there are few which have as long a tradition as Ickwell in Bedfordshire, where records of the observance of May Day date back some 500 years. The festivities took on their current form in the nineteenth century, and the focus is on the permanent Maypole in the centre of the Green. The day begins outside the Crown at nearby Northill, with dancing from Bedford Morris and guests (Letchworth Morris when we visited) and a competition for decorated hoops, which are festooned with flowers and foliage and carried in the procession, a half-a-mile perambulation to Ickwell Green. The procession features the May Queen and all her attendants in a tractor drawn carriage, and the Moggies, lucky chimney sweeps long associated with the date. Upon arrival, the May Queen is crowned by her predecessor form the previous year, followed by dancing around the Maypole, including children’s dances and that of 24 adult dancers who plait the ribbons on the Maypole, many of whom also took part as children themselves in the past . There is a variety of stalls at the Ickwell Green site, including refreshments.
Helpful Hints
It’s on May Day Bank Holiday Monday, the one at the start of the month. In 2025 it will be on Monday May 5th.
A modest charge (£2 per person in 2024) is payable for entry to the seating in Maypole arena, or you can view from outside the cordon. In the event of very bad weather, the dancing may be postponed until a later date but the procession and crowning still go ahead. When we went in 2024 the dancing was curtailed due to wet conditions but still went ahead despite the rain.
Free car parking and toilets , including convenient spaces for disabled visitors, are available nearby. Stewards will guide you to a space
Click here for the event website: https://www.ickwellmayday.co.uk
and Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ickwellmayday
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