Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire England UK
Church of England (Anglican)
The church dates to AD 1002 with the list of priests to 1086. The west end and tower were rebuilt after the spire fell in 1688.
St Nicholas is home for horns—reindeer antlers dating to 1080—used in the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance. Six dancers—Deer-man, Fool, Hobby Horse, Bowman (Robin Hood), and Maid Marion—collect them on Wake Monday (the Monday after 4 Sept)and dance accompanied by a melodian and a triangle. On the ten mile route through neighboring villages, Maid Marion collects alms for the church in a strange cudgel-shaped wooden box. The dance, one of the oldest ritual dances still performed in England, commemorates the acquisition of hunting rights in Needwood forest.
Panoramic view of church
St Nicholas is home for horns—reindeer antlers dating to 1080—used in the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance. Six dancers—Deer-man, Fool, Hobby Horse, Bowman (Robin Hood), and Maid Marion—collect them on Wake Monday (the Monday after 4 Sept)and dance accompanied by a melodian and a triangle. On the ten mile route through neighboring villages, Maid Marion collects alms for the church in a strange cudgel-shaped wooden box. The dance, one of the oldest ritual dances still performed in England, commemorates the acquisition of hunting rights in Needwood forest.
Panoramic view of church