Dunkeswell, Devon, England

Gatehouse to Dunkeswell Abbey

Wassailling

On 6th January, which is the Eve of Epiphany, they still wassail the apple trees as they do in Carhampton and Warleggan in Cornwall. The farmer, in company with workers, carries a pail of cider with roasted apples to the orchard, whereupon each person present takes a cup of the cider. They then sing a song. The cider is then drunk and remainder thrown at the tree, said to satisfy the spirit within it. The group will then chorus “Hazza!”. Sometimes, it has been known for guns to be fired as a means of frightening off any witches that might be hiding in the area.

 

For further information, please read Haunted Britain by Antony D. Hippisley Coxe.

Location

Visitor Information

Dunkeswell is a village in Devon, England. It is located approximately 5 miles north of the town of Honiton.

Pictured left is the gatehouse to Dunkeswell Abbey courtesy of Eugene Birchall. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.