Page 9 - ESL Ultimate Guide to The Marches

Health or Be Well’) is an Anglo-Saxon custom in cider producing regions of England.
Wassailing, on around Twelfth Night in January, brings many together to drink a concoction of mulled cider, served in huge silver or pewter bowls and mixed with curdled cream, apples, eggs, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and sugar, small pieces of toast are often added and float on the top, its appearance leading some to call the drink ‘Lamb’s Wool’.
With a torch light procession between orchards, a wassail King and Queen lead the song, with the Queen lifted up to place the soaked toast, from the Clayen Cup, as a gift to the biggest tree. With a greeting of ‘Wassail’, cider is poured onto its roots, an incantation recited and those present sing, shout and bang drums, pots, pans etc. to ward off evil spirits. Then it’s off to the next orchard, usually ending at a pub. It’s great family fun.
If you have not been before we highly recommend it as a unique experience, look out for dates and locations on our website.
Creatives
Herefordshire’s incredibly beautiful landscape and countryside is crammed with creatives. Around every corner you’ll find their wonderful work in textiles, ceramics, art, metal and woodwork, jewellery and more in the many galleries and studios tucked away, with new generations nurtured by an excellent Art College. NMiTE (The New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering) is also attracting the finest engineering minds to the area and has its first intake of students this spring.
Activities and Attractions
Discover some of the amazing activities and attractions on offer, great for couples, families or groups. Walking and cycling are hugely popular around the stunning countryside and bordering mountain ranges, with plenty of trails and routes to challenge or keep things more leisurely. Fancy something different? How about Llama trekking, falconry, paintballing or laserclayz, pottery or golf, there’s something to suit everyone.
The Golden Valley
In south east Herefordshire, the picturesque valley of the River Dore is thought to have become known as the Golden Valley due to Norman confusion with the word Dore (Welsh word for water, dwr) and French for gold, d’or. Inspiring many writers the area has been a setting for films like Shadowlands, Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland, who’s brother was Vicar at hamlet Vowchurch. CS Lewis used Arthur’s Stone, part of a Neolithic tomb at Dorstone and Herefordshire’s oldest manmade structure, as inspiration for the stone table where Aslan was sacrificed in The Chronicles
of Narnia. With iconic Dore Abbey now a serene venue for music and an attractive visitor destination, the Golden Valley really is a precious part of Herefordshire.
Photos
1 Weobley Village 2 Drinking cider 3 Canoeing
4 Walking 5 Hereford cattle 6 A Wassail 7 British Cassis Tour
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