On Saturday 4 July, a special Gate to Southwell service was held at Southwell Minster.
The Gate to Southwell dates back to 1109 when the Archbishop of York commanded every parish in Nottinghamshire to contribute funds - the ‘Southwell Pence’ — for building the new Minster church. Each parish contributed Pence according to its means. Parishioners were also required to make an annual procession to Southwell at Whitsun.
The procession from Nottingham - the ‘Gate to Southwell’ was led by the Mayor and Corporation followed by the people. It was part pilgrimage, part money-raising, part church meeting (synod), and part holiday excursion to the fair at Southwell.
The Gate was performed for hundreds of years. Records show that the Whitsun synod was abolished in 1770. The most celebrated Gate to Southwell was that of 1530 when Cardinal Wolsey was present at Southwell. The Nottingham Borough Accounts suggest that the town put on an impressive show, with new clothes and shoes for the Morris dancers who led the Whitsun procession and free beer for the dancers along the route! In celebration of their role in 1530, Morris dancers from 1981 to 2013 recreated the Gate to Southwell procession. This year we are recreating part of it with the presentation of the Southwell pence to the Dean of Southwell in the Minster, with our nine dance sides leading out into the town.
Presentations were made by the following dance sides:-
Nottingham Mortimers, Newark Gold Star, Southwell Whip the cat, Blyth Dukes Dandy, Retford Rattlejag, Bingham Bourne Borderers, Misterton Hadrians Pub, Cuckney Feet First, Kingston on Soar Dolphin, Adbolton Outside Catering Crew.
With our gratitude to all our musicians and dancers for blessing us this morning with their gifts.
