Wareham Court Leet

Wareham Court Leet is a survivor from medieval times; the Court was founded to regulate local trade and ensure that high standards were maintained in the town. During late November evenings, officials are led by the Bailiff and Bell Ringer around the town wearing hats and formal dress; the group consists of over 20 people and some of their costumes are highly individual! The team inspects local businesses, checking for transgressions such as short measures or poor hygiene, armed with the tools of their trade which include antiquated scales, a brush and  tankards. The Aletasters check that the brew is of the correct strength and temperature from behind the bar and the Bailiff then the jurors taste the offering before it’s passed around to the crowd in the Common Measure Pot. The Bread Weighers ensure that the loaves are of sufficient quality and substance using their balancing scales. The Carniter inspects uncooked meat for freshness, then cooks it up and passes it around for tasting, while the Leather Sealer checks items for quality and stamps them. The Chimney Peepers inspect the fireplaces and flues to ensure there are no future conflagrations in town, and the Scavengers check the facilities for cleanliness to guard against the spread of disease. Fines may be issued to the landlord for rule breaking or to the public for misbehaviour such as talking over the Bailiff – fines consist usually of measures to be added to the Common Pot, which becomes increasingly strong as the fines are added, and the Constables ensure that law and order prevail. Be aware that if you empty the Common Pot, you will be expected to fill it up again…! Two pubs are usually inspected each night, ending with a song from the whole group. On the Friday the Court sits at the Town Hall, beginning with the striking of thirteen on the Town Hall clock, upon which the Jurors and Officials enter the courtroom. The officials give the results of their inspections to the Lord of the Manor and discuss matters arising from the previous twelve months, with a long lunch break from 1pm until 3pm at the Red Lion, and the election of the Officers for the following year in the second session.

Helpful Hints

The 2024 dates are 18th-22nd November (see below), with the Court on Friday 22nd November at 12 noon at the Town Hall.  The full itinerary will appear on their website & Facebook links below near the due dates -and check the Facebook link for any last-minute changes.

The court sits for an hour before breaking for lunch, then resumes at 3pm and the court sits in the chamber above the corn exchange, approached from the entrance marked Museum in East Street; members of the public are welcome to attend.

The pub visits make a great night out, and there’s a very welcoming atmosphere for visitors to Wareham. Be careful with the dating for this event – numerous printed and online sources state that it is held during the last full week of November but actually this is not always the case and it’s often the third week of the month. The date for the following year is set by the Bailiff and Lord of the Manor during the Court Session on the Friday. Double check before travelling – now very easy to do with the Facebook link below.

There’s a song about the event called, unsurprisingly, “Wareham Court Leet” which is sometimes performed on the tour.

Click here for the full schedule : http://www.court-leet.org

and here for the event Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/warehamcourtleet