The annual Sandford Village Wassail is to thank the trees for their apples and to scare away the evil spirits that gather in the orchards in the winter, and by doing so allowing another great harvest and a plentiful supply for apples for our local Sandford Ciders!
The evening starts with dancing and apple cake. In the cake is a single clove. The person who finds the clove is crowed King or Queen for the night, crowned with ivy and has the honour of leading the procession, followed my Morris Dancers, to the apple tree in the orchard. Once everyone has arrived the ancient ceremony begins with the offering of cider soaked toast tied to the boughs of the tree and cider poured around the roots. Those gathered around the tree sing and shout to scare away the evil spirits so that our trees are safe to crop.
On the evening of the The Sandford Village Wassail everyone gathers in The Square outside The Lamb Inn before the festivities begin.
“In the Creedy Valley there was once an Exeter brewer called Franklin who became worried about losing sales of his ale to the more popular ciders. In desperation he sold his soul to the Devil on condition that on three specific nights in May he would send frosts to destroy the cider apple blossom. Since then it has always been believed that the apple crop was at risk of failure during three specific nights, namely the 17th, 18th and 19th of May.” A wonderful 19C writer captured Crediton and it’s devotion to cider perfectly in his ‘book of the west‘.
Probably at least a thousand years ago, in ancient Devon, May 19th - 21st inclusive was known as Frankinmass or the St Franklin Nights, when it was the fear of cidermakers that sharp frosts might blight the apple blossom when it was in full glory on the cider apple trees. This fear doubtless gave rise to a personification of rival beverage makers because the maltster’s barley and hops are much less frost-sensitive. So we have Frankan, a beer brewer, selling his soul to the devil in return for the devil browning-off the apple blossom by intense cold. In legend we have the Devil/Frankan having a spectacular showdown with the Devon cidermaker on Culmstock Bridge after Culmstock Fair on the evening of May 21st. There is a fearful fight which is supposed to end with the victor having (presumably) thrown his opponent into the river: if it’s the devil who’s won then the pretty blossom will wither, if the cidermaker wins he will have a jolly good year selling his cider. In the Culmstock oral tradition this is called The Devil and The Maltster, but this muddles the whole theme - unless the ancient Culmstockians were bedevilled by an inordinate number of personages getting sozzled on cider ("the devil") and the scathing sober turned the legend round. Source from Bonny Green
Our local Cidermaker Sandford Ciders celebrates this event annually at their ciderworks just down the road at Crediton
Across Mid Devon September: lace up your boots and get ready to explore the breath-taking landscapes and rich history across the heart of Devon as the inaugural Mid Devon walking festival makes its much-anticipated debut. This exciting event promises to captivate outdoor enthusiasts, history buffs, and nature lovers alike with a diverse array of guided walks covering a spectrum of topics including nature, history, and scenic viewpoints
Sandford's Carols at The Lamb with Sandford Sings - The Wednesday before Christmas - December
Carols in the Square outside The Lamb Inn in front of The Lamb Inn Christmas tree with Sandford's very own community choir SANDFORD SINGS entertain the whole village with Christmas songs and carols in The Square outside of The Lamb Inn. Come along and join in the festivities . For the whole family.
Sandford Sings practice every Wednesday at Sandford Parish Hall if you wish to join, just pop in!
