More Scarecrow Bothering in Wetwang
Following a positive scarecrow experience at Endon in the Staffordshire Moorlands last month (connected to the regional custom of well dressing) I went down a rabbit hole about the broader tradition of UK scarecrow festivals, which have apparently been a thing since the mid-1990s, and that generally take place over summer or at Halloween; Wikipedia lists no fewer than 82 events nationwide, including the older and more celebrated examples such as Flamstead, Kettlewell, and Wray, and more seem to be cropping up all the time. Quite a few have gone straight onto my list, but I decided to sample Wetwang Scarecrow Festival in the East Riding of Yorkshire first, partly because it’s easy to get to from my base in Sheffield, but mainly because I adore the name Wetwang.
Running for two decades, this year’s gala took place from Thursday 28 to Sunday 31 May. The village had gone all-in, so this was scarecrows on steroids or scarecrows squared; whereas at Endon they were a sideshow to the business of well dressing, here they were unashamedly the main attraction, with over fifty mannequins crammed into a much smaller hamlet (it was, as the website promised, ‘bursting at the seams with scarecrows’). In addition, extensive branding was in evidence, the community hall had been made over as scarecrow HQ (complete with galleries, scarecrow merch, a tombola, and a pop-up scarecrow cafe), while there were some interesting innovations within the format, including a scheme for ‘visiting scarecrows’ and tantalising opportunities to ‘foster a scarecrow’.
The event was again themed, this time with ‘Fairytales and Other Magical Stories’ (although there was also an open category, simply entitled ‘Other’). As well as the authorised entries represented on the trail map and equipped with laminated signs, there were several rogue scarecrows, which – unfairly in my view – seemed to be looked on askance by many of the visitors (‘this one’s not official either’, I overheard someone remark). The light was again harsh and unforgiving, but here’s another selection of straw-stuffed highlights.
The accompanying postcard is a wonderfully atmospheric pre-1914 shot of Wetwang parish church, St Nicholas. As is standard for scarecrow festivals the building was fully incorporated into proceedings, playing host to a frankly terrifying effigy of beloved children’s author Julia Donaldson, which judging from the rosette won first prize in the themed category.
