| Where: | Formerly Shave Cross , Bridport, Dorset at the Shave Cross Inn |
| When: | Formerly 3rd Thursday in January |
| Time: | Formerly 7pm |
The ancient Shave Cross Inn, so-called because visiting monastics had a trim here whilst visiting, was the setting for a traditional Ashen Faggot burning on a Thursday night each January. 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. Drinks are consumed as each withy breaks in the flames, which sounds like an excellent excuse for conviviality! The practice still survives in country pubs notably the Lutrell Arms in Dunster, Somerset and the Harbour Inn at Axmouth in Devon and in both these cases, the burning 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. Wessex Morris Men led the singing and dancing which accompanied the burning of the faggot on the 3rd Thursday night of the New Year.
Helpful Hints
The event was held on the 3rd Thursday night of the month (near to Old Twelfth Night/January 17th) and was a revival since 2004 of an ancient local custom.
The event has currently lapsed for insurance reasons.
Click here for the pub facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/joebaron1974/
and here for the Wessex Morris : http://www.wessexmorrismen.co.uk/
View this location on the map.
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