| Where: | Wooler, Northumberland starting by the Cheviot Centre at the top of the High Street, and at Ad Gefrin Museum & Distillery |
| When: | A Friday in late November |
| Time: | 4 pm for 4.30 Parade |
Ad Gefrin is a modern distillery and museum of Anglo-Saxon life in the picturesque village of Wooler in rural Northumberland. Inspired by the nearby site of a seventh century royal palace, the museum features exhibits and interpretations from the Golden Age of Northumbria, and as the name means “by the hill of the goats” it was a logical step to adopt a Yule Goat for their midwinter celebrations. Yule Goats are part of Germanic and Scandinavian tradition, and today miniature straw Christmas tree decorations are made in their image while larger ones are a centrepiece for some Swedish displays. The festivities at Wooler begin with the Parade of the Yule Straw Goat, a 6 metre tall figure, which is processed down the High Street to the museum on a trailer, preceded by the Standard Bearer and Northumbrian pipers and followed by a candle-lit procession all the way down to the museum site.
Helpful Hints
The inaugural parade took place on Friday November 28th in 2025, and it is intended to be an annual tradition going forward. 2026 date is yet to be confirmed but likely to be 27th.
Battery powered torches are provided for those intending to follow all the way to the Museum (where they are collected in).
Crowds gather at the top of the High Street from 4 pm, and the parade sets off at 4.30 to give time for the school buses to arrive so that everyone can participate. All are welcome and it’s a real community event for all ages. When we visited it took around half an hour for the party to arrive at the Ad Gefrin Museum, after which festivities continue including food, drink and a ceilidh. The Straw Goat is put into position outside so that it can preside over the forthcoming season of Yule- the museum hosts parties, musical events and a two-day seasonal market with crafts and produce accompanied by storytelling and live music, throughout the period of late November and December. Pyromaniacs should note that CCTV watches over the Goat, which is not for burning.
Admission to the Museum is free of charge for the Yule period ( Distillery Tours are also available but not included in the free entry). The Museum is well worth a visit any time of year!
Click here for the Ad Gefrin website: https://adgefrin.co.uk
and here for the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AdGefrin
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