Brightwell Cum Sotwell’s Wassailing, Mumming and Beating the Bounds Tradition
Brightwell cum Sotwell has a long tradition of hosting
traditional rural activities. These are
recorded in the Parish Records and survive in the collective memory of
villagers. The Vicar’s diaries of the
1700s document the Beating of the Bounds, Mummer’s performed from house to house
well into the 1980s whilst older residents remember the Wassailing activities
of their youth. The May Queen was
crowned and villager’s went A’ Shroving singing ‘Pit Pat the Pan’s Hot’ on
their way.
Many of these traditions continue to the present - although in a much-altered form. As the village (and its residents) have evolved so have the traditions, what is important is that the tradition continues to take place, reflecting the priorities of the present whilst providing comtinuity with our shared past.
Wassailing
Brightwell and Sotwell have a proud fruit growing tradition
that dates back many centuries. Until
the 1960s much of the village was still covered in fruit trees, pears, apple,
plum and cherry were common alongside soft fruit. Recently a lot of the old orchards have been
scrubbed up and developed for housing. This
said, many fine old fruit trees (often covered in mistletoe) survive in ancient
orchards and in the hedgerows that follow the village’s winding lanes. Almost ninety varieties of apple were
recorded during a survey for the 2018 Village Orchard Group’s Community Apple
Pressing Day.
The village’s Wassailing tradition was re-kindled in the
2000s and brought up to date to reflect the modern village. The oral tradition of walking from orchard to
orchard was weaved into a new format – known as a ‘Processional Wassail’.
In just two decades, the Wassail has become one of the most
anticipated events in the village calendar and now attracts 750 villagers. Music and dance are an essential part of the
event spawning our very own Wassail Band – the Shady Wilcox Experience (named
after an eccentric villager who loved playing music up to his death in the
1950s). A Wassail song has been written
(that is taught to village school children) and a partnership forged with local
Border Morris Group Armaleggan.
Wassailers walk from one orchard to another with different
activities taking place in each orchard.
The route is changed annually so that over time all of the village
orchards are wassailed. The event takes
place on the closest Saturday or Sunday to Twelfth Night and always includes
the Community Orchard and when possible the Little Martin’s Orchard. One of the ‘Big Houses’ are always wassailed
and dances performed. The Wassail starts
with a Wassail prayer to provide the link to the Christian calendar that formed
such an important part of village life (and to reassure our Vicar that we are
not a village of wicker practicing pagans!).
A Wassail King and Queen are crowned and Wassailer’s are
treated to a Lamb’s Wool cider punch (based on a 250 year old village
recipe. The annual Mummer’s Play is
performed during the Wassail – more about this later!
The purpose of the Brightwell cum Sotwell Wassail is not
simply to wake our fruit trees following Mid-winter. The village is one of he coldest places in
England (minus 20C is known!) and frosts until June are common. The great enemy of our harvest is therefor Ol’
Jack Frost who regularly makes an appearance during the Blossoming Time –
destroying the blossom before fruit can even develop. Each year the Wassail makes a LOT of noise to
warn Ol’ Jack away during the Blossoming Time.
We have Muzzleloaders that fire into the trees and we event finish the
Wassail with a grand fireworks display!
The Wassail always finishes in the Red Lion for folk music, singing, dancing, beer and hot Chili!
Mumming
Mumming has continued in the village from ancient times to
the present. Whether this was shroving,
carolling or the performance of a play – usually taking house-to-house. It seemed quite right therefore for the
annual Mummer’s Play to be weaved into the Wassail, now taking place in the
garden or barn of one of the Big Manor Houses or under an old tree in an
ancient orchard.
The Brightwell and Sotwell Mummer’s perform a contemporary play (based on the traditional Mummer’s format) but with a modern twist. The play is re-written each year based on a current concern. There’s always a Doctor but the hero (who needs reviving) could be our orchards, the Thames or the village itself. The villain has been Putin, Brexit, the Covid Virus and Thames Water! All tongue in cheek but great fun.
Beating the Bounds
The parish bounds are recorded in detail in an Anglo Saxon
Charter dating to the Ninth Century.
They can still be followed, pretty much the same to the present. The only change has been the insertion of
that brash ‘New Town’ of Wallingford into our parish.
Over the centuries, the parish of Brightwell has been split
and merged. Mackney, Sotwell and Clapcot
have been created and separated from Brightwell before being bought back into
the fold in the 1940s.
The entire parish is beat once a decade – always on Rogation
Sunday following a special church service.
This takes all day and finishes in the Red Lion! In between the old parish boundaries of
Sotwell, Mackney, Clapcot, Bishop’s Brightwell (now largely taken by
Wallingford) or Brightwell are followed.
In the past, these perambulations were vital in passing
local knowledge to the next generation.
Today they are a bit of fun but do lead to a healthy rivalry between the
different parts of the village and an annual tug of war between the old Saxon
parishes of Brightwell and Sotwell!
Yulia Shevchenko has kindly given us a link to her photos of the event
Video Links
The Annual Wassail Firedance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwqlk8nCJBM
Brightwell cum Sotwell Wassail Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyCUAkNkNZw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTi8AMHJ9tE&t=29s
2025 Mummer’s Play
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqYcfVSga2A&t=5s&pp=ygUcMjAyNSBicmlnaHR3ZWxsIG11bW1lcnMgcGxheQ%3D%3D
2016 Mummer’s Play
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPAbrM-PlFI
2022 Wassail Fire Dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56xHJ9mDWPE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUZ4_BvSom0
2022 Mummer’s Play
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcTv224atl0&t=35s
Wassail Song in the Red Lion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb6FR29gfQU
Wassail at the Red Lion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQFVT6vNar0&t=32s
Scaring Ol’ Jack Frost from coming during our Blossoming
Time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvyfs_WNIHk
2025 Fire Dance and Fireworks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j1j7W4HJ_s
Some more Red Lion folk