Back in the days when churches had cold earth floors, the annual renewal of rushes on the floor for cleanliness and warmth became an occasion for celebration. Most of the surviving customs are in the northwestern corner of England and some involve rushcarts and flower covered bearings.
At Lymm, as well as the Thelwall Morris Dancers in their incarnation as Lymm Morris, resplendent in their flower bedecked hats, you can expect to see a procession including local WI members, councillors and civic officials and members of the Youth Club all carrying rushes and garlands to the church, where a special service follows with appropriate and well-known hymns. The parish church is dedicated to St Mary, so the festival is held near her feast-day in August - this year, that's today the 13th of August..
Before the procession you can catch the dancers performing at locations around the village centre.
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