SD9906 : The Saddleworth Rushcart 2008

near to Uppermill, Oldham, Great Britain

The Saddleworth Rushcart  2008
The Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
Seen here during the annual Rushcart Festival in 2008 the morris men prepare to park the rushcart at the Navigation public house on Huddersfield Road in Dobcross.
Saddleworth Morris Men LinkExternal link revived the Rushcart as an annual festival in 1975 to become the first of many in the area.
The rushes are taken from the surrounding moors (with the blessing of the National Trust) and built onto a two-wheeled cart in a slightly conical shape thirteen feet high weighing about two tons (if it doesn't rain). 'Feathers' at each corner are formed from bolts or bundles of rushes each about four inches in diameter held in place by metal rods.
The bulk of the cart, which can be seen on the left in the picture, is built from loose rushes; they are not tied on.
When completed, the whole structure is trimmed to give a smooth appearance on each side.
Two Rowan branches are fixed to the top and, on Saturday morning, the front is dressed with a decorated banner.
A man chosen from the ranks of Saddleworth Morris Men sits astride the Rushcart for the day, supplied with ale in a copper kettle on the end of a rope.
The Rushcart is then pulled through the Saddleworth villages of Delph, Dobcross and Diggle by approximately 150 morris men invited from all over Britain and overseas.
SD9906 : Rushcart arrives in Dobcross
SD9905 : Saddleworth Rushcart Festival
SD9906 : Dobcross Square
SD9905 : Commercial Hotel. Uppermill
SD9905 : The Saddleworth Morris Men
Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Paul Anderson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Interested in reusing this image? For example on your webpage, blog, a forum, or Wikipedia.
Discuss There is 1 post in a discussion
on SD9906
(preview on the left)
Modify Picture details need updating? Email Contact the contributor
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
+
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
TIP: Click the map to open OS Get-a-Map
Grid Square
SD9906, 34 images   (more nearby - lo-fi)
Photographer
Paul Anderson   (find more nearby)
Image classification
Geograph
Date Taken
Saturday, 23 August, 2008   (more nearby)
Submitted
Sunday, 24 August, 2008
Category
Event   (more nearby)
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SD 996 067 [100m precision]
WGS84: 53:33.4154N 2:0.4053W
Photographer Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SD 996 067
View Direction
East-northeast (about 67 degrees)
Clickable map
+

Forward to a
Friend > >

NW N NE
W Go E
SW S SE
[Mark
You are not logged in login | register