Littleborough Rushbearing Two-Day Festival

The festivities start on Saturday 24 July when Morris dancers will set off from the King William IV pub, Shore at 10.00am and make their way to St Barnabas' Church for 10.30am for the presentation of the rushes.

The Morris men and the rush cart will then set off down Shore Road towards Caldermoor, where they will do their traditional dance before heading for Littleborough centre.

The Morris men will dance in Littleborough centre before they break for lunch, then onto the Red Lion for more celebrations at 2.00pm.

The possession will then set off towards Hollingworth Lake Visitors Centre, stopping at the Waterside Inn at 2.30pm and the Fisherman's Inn at 3.00pm, finishing at 4.00pm in the centre.

There is also an exhibition of paintings and prints at Littleborough Gallery, which will run until 24 August.

On Sunday 25 July there is a special performance of the Pace Egg play at 11.00am Hollingworth Lake Visitors Centre as well as dancing by the Morris groups.

The procession will go on to the Rake Inn for 12.45pm, where there the play will be performed again, there will then be a lunch break.

Special guests will arrive at the wharf in Canal Street on a canal boat from Durn Lock at 1.45pm and meet the procession as it makes it’s way into the town centre where the Morris groups will do a display and the pace eggers will perform once more from 2.00pm – 3.30pm.

There will also be stalls from Littleborough Historical Society, Littleborough in Bloom, Littleborough Lions, Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, MoorEnd Development Trust, the Canal Development Group and other local charities and community groups.

Littleborough Public Band will be performing in the Square between 1.00pm and 2.00pm and there is a one-day exhibition celebrating the bicentenary of Rochdale Canal and the 30th anniversary of the Rochdale Canal Society that will take place at the Coach House on Lodge Street.

The Rushbearing Festival is a revival of the old custom of taking rushes into the Parish Church to be used as floor covering. Over the years the Rushcart became more and more elaborate and competition was high to be the first to reach the church.

Banned in the Victorian times for the drunkenness and riotous behaviour of the pullers, the Rushcarts were only seen on special occasions, such as Royal Anniversaries. Rushbearing was revived in various towns in Lancashire and West Yorkshire during the 20th century, the most well known being Saddleworth and Sowerby Bridge.

The event has been organised by Rochdale Morris with support from Rochdale Pennine Trust, Littleborough Action Group, Gordon Rigg Garden Centre and Littleborough Sports Club.

Rochdale Morris was formed in 1981 and is a mixed team which dances in the North West tradition. In 1991 the team decided to revive the Rushbearing tradition and has been hosting the festival in Littleborough ever since.

You can phone the Hollingworth Lake Visitor Centre for the full weekends program 01706 373421.