Thank you for showing an interest in the Sowerby Bridge Rushbearing Festival.

The 2008 event will take place on the 6th and 7th September 2008. As much information as possible is packed into this site and more will be added as the festival approaches. A full timetable for the weekend's events will be included in August once the details are finalised, however a provisional list can be found in our Entertainments section.

If you have any queries about the event, please email info@rushbearing.co.uk.

We hope you enjoy the site!

Rushbearing dates back several centuries to the time when rushes provided floor covering in the churches. Each year, the old, rotten rushes were thrown out and new ones were taken to the churches in carts. This gradually turned into a celebration and holiday involving revelry, music and morris dancing.

The modern Festival is the only one of its kind in Yorkshire. The focal point of the event is the sixteen feet high, two-wheeled, handsomely decorated and thatched Rushcart, which is pulled by sixty local men dressed in Panama hats, white shirts, black trousers and clogs. They are accompanied by music and five or six teams of morris dancers.

A team of young ladies take turns to ride on top of the cart. A very precarious position indeed. The colourful procession is an unforgettable spectacle as it winds its way through local villages over the course of the weekend.

Stops are made to present token rushes at the churches and to dance at public houses en route. The passage of the cart also serves as a focus for local community groups, charities and entertainment. One of the main attractions is a charity/craft market on the Saturday at Sowerby Bridge market place.

On the Sunday afternoon in Ripponden, there is a village fete. The climax of the afternoon is the arrival of the procession, with the presentation of rushes, morris dancing and the 'Songs of Praise' service in the church.

We hope you enjoy looking round our web site and maybe we'll even see you at the 2008 event.