Wassailing

The word wassail is derived from the Old Norse ‘Ves Heill’ from whence came the Old English ‘Wes Hal’, meaning be in good health.

Above Whimple wassail image reproduced with the kind permission of Jim Causley

The Whimple Wassail

The authentic wassail experience

Wassailing is an ancient ceremony to awaken the apple trees from their winter
slumber, drive away evil spirits, and ensure a good harvest in the forthcoming
year. The earliest written reference to wassailing in Whimple dates from 1927
when Whimple was described as one of the few places in Devon where it was
still taking place. It died out after the Second World War, but was revived by
the Whimple History Society in 1993.

The Whimple wassail takes place each year in the evening of the traditional
“Old Twelvy Night” - 17th January, or the following day if 17th January falls on a
Sunday. Wassailers gather from 6.30pm at the Whimple Heritage Centre
before the wassail commences at 7pm with the wassailing of the Heritage
Centre’s own Whimple Wonder apple tree. The wassailers then move on to
various orchards throughout the village before ending up at the village cricket
club for refreshments.

The wassailers are accompanied by local folk musicians including Jim Causley (Jim Causley • Devon Folk Singer | 6 x BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominee) and Emma of the Slack Ma Girdle ceilidh band (Meet the band | Slack Ma Girdle), who also provide entertainment at the cricket club.

The format of the Whimple wassail is based as closely as possible on the
wassails of yesteryear, so come along and join in with the Whimple wassail for
the authentic wassail experience!

There is no charge for attending the Whimple wassail, but donations are much appreciated and are used to help fund the event and the running of the Whimple Heritage Centre. Remember to bring with you a torch and something
to make a noise to wake up the apple trees! The wearing of a high-vis jacket is recommended.

If you are planning to travel to the wassail from outside the village please note that there is almost no public parking available in Whimple, and the roads leading to the village are not suitable for pedestrians as they are unlit, narrow, and bounded by high hedges. We strongly advise that you consider travelling to the wassail by train. Whimple is on the Exeter to Waterloo railway line, and parking may be available at some of the larger stations on this route.