Abbots Bromley 2026
Monday 7th September 2026 … “Wakes Monday”, by tradition the Monday following the first Sunday in September after the 4th day of the month … or, better known to many as the day of the Abbots Bromley Horn dance, a rather wonderful folk dance tradition that is ‘stated to be’ dating back to 1226 - so, 800 years and counting !
Performed in the picturesque village (and immediate surrounding area) of Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire, UK the 10 mile procession commences at 8:00am and runs through to 8:00pm whereby a troupe of dancers carry the ancient reindeer horns accompanied by musicians (playing accordions) plus a child with a triangle, the Hobby Horse, plus a child with bow & arrow, Maid Marian and a Fool.
As this tradition is steeped in rich local history full of intricacies and a touch of folklore belonging to the area, I will now leave the history aficionados among you to deep dive into your own research path of choice …
My day began at 5:45am to make the 55 mile journey across Leicestershire, Derbyshire, and then into Staffordshire to hopefully arrive around 7:00am, find a place to park (easier said than done) and then partake in a delightful bacon cob + mug of tea curtesy of the Church House - mission accomplished !
It was a lovely sunny morning, and remained that way until approximately 7:30am when for some unexplained reason the clouds rolled over and brought the rain in, thankfully not torrential, but still mildly annoying (to me as a photographer) and it remained sporadic for the next 90 minutes.
Once the dancers had reached the first stopping point on Goose Lane (Church View Farmhouse) to take on refreshments, I took opportunity to grab some observational candid moments as these can often help to paint a wider picture (no serious pun intended) of the day as a whole, and likewise at the next stopping point just along the road at Rose Bank the opportunity to capture a mix of candid moments plus the dancers in movement was taken.
Following a brisk walk up Yeatsall Road, to get ahead of the procession before it reached the next dance spot, I took up what I thought would be ideal position to track the dancers as they entered the vicinity - best laid plans, etc. as some chap in a transit van decided he’d also drive down the road with the same impeccable timing - oh well.
As the dance troupe headed off to Blithfield Hall for their next dance spot I made my way back into Abbots Bromley for a well deserved pint of Bass at The Goats Head public house, what a fine place to be on a Monday lunchtime taking in some early September sunshine in the beer garden - yes, finally the sun had broken through the cloud cover.
I caught up again with the dancers at Dunstall Hall Farm where they entertained a considerable and appreciative crowd that had gathered in the private garden area, also whilst there I sampled the rather delicious hog roast cobs that were on offer, this photography day out was also now turning into a foodie day out, and that’s no bad thing when the offerings were this good !
Another brisk walk from Dunstall Hall Farm and back down Harvey Lane towards the village saw me just about arrive in time to catch the dancers heading into Leafields Farm, this was a nice private garden location that had some decent sunlight spreading across it so now was a good opportunity to grab some images of the dancers in performance and in some nice light, I was reasonably pleased with what I captured here and that’s what makes the day for me from a photography aspect - if I come away with some good ‘keeper’ shots from the day then I’ve had a successful mission, the food, drink, great company & great hospitality along the journey of the day curtesy of the Abbots Bromley village folk plus the attending crowd all adds to the overall pleasing experience - roll on 2027 for more of the same.
Below are my observatons (when I wasn’t eating & drinking) from the day …
