Castleton Events

The village of Castleton, in a manner you would expect from a place of such great tradition and heritage, is renowned for its special events – both annual and more regular - that celebrate time-honoured rituals. They are extremely popular with Castleton locals and tourists alike, and it is highly recommended that every effort should be made to coincide one of your visits to Castleton to allow you to take in the wonders of the following events.

Oak Apple Day

Oak Apple Day is a special day in the Castleton calendar. It was a national holiday celebrated in England every year on 29th May to commemorate the restoration of the monarchy in Great Britain and Ireland, which occurred in May 1660. Charles II was returned to the throne in 1660 after the brief Cromwellian interlude between 1653 and 1659. In some parts of the country, Oak Apple Day was also known as Shick-Shack Day or Arbour Day.

In 1660, Parliament declared 29th May a public holiday by saying: ‘Parliament had ordered the 29 of May, the King's birthday, to be for ever kept as a day of thanksgiving for our redemption from tyranny and the King's return to his Government, he entering London that day’.

Customary celebrations to honour the event often entailed the wearing of oak apples, which were a type of plant gall also known in some parts of the country as a shick-shack (hence the different names for the festival). Sprigs of oak leaves were also traditionally worn in reference to the occasion after the Battle of Worcester in September 1651, when the future Charles II of England escaped the Roundhead army by hiding in an oak tree near Boscobel House.

The Oak Apple Day holiday was actually formally abolished in 1859 (although a 1915 film clip of Colonel Lyttleton inspecting the Chelsea pensioners on Oak Apple Day is preserved at the British Film Institute for its importance) but to this day, Castleton still commemorates the holiday every single year. Castleton is one of a select number of places that still do so, the others being Upton-upon-Severn, Northampton, Aston on Clun in Shropshire, Marsh Gibbon in Buckinghamshire, Great Wishford in Wiltshire, and Membury in Devon. At some Oxford and Cambridge university halls, a toast is still drunk to celebrate Oak Apple day.

In Castleton, the day is highly anticipated with great fervour. The ancient Castleton ceremony of Garlanding takes place, and is a day of great colour and fun. It is also a time of considerable pageantry, with people dressing in Stuart fashions and choosing to dress as a King or a Queen for the day. On this day each year a huge garland of wildflowers is created and the Castleton 'Garland King and Queen' parade around the village on horseback wearing 17th century dress. They lead a procession through the village of Castleton, with the King covered in the Garland. Girls dance and everyone officially welcomes in the summer, as Oak Apple Day celebrates the pagan rite for the symbolic ending of winter. After the Garland has been paraded though the streets, it is hoisted to the top of Castleton’s famous Saint Edmund's Church tower.

The Garland is approximately 3 ft high and is made from a wooden frame, wound with string to which petite bunches of wild flowers and leaves are attached. A further tiny wreath, called the ‘Queen’ is made from choice garden flowers and is put on the top. The complete Garland weighs roughly 56 pounds and is ceremoniously hurled onto the shoulders of the individual playing the King for the day at the beginning of the ceremony, covering him from the waist up.

Departing at the popular Castleton pub Cheshire Cheese Inn, the royal couple then slowly trek through Castleton, stopping off at every pub (which is quite a few, as it happens!). During the procession, Castleton school children dress up and dance for the occasion.

The procession’s final destination is the main square in Castleton. When the tour of the village has been completed (complemented all the way along by his consort, a procession and a live band), the King is relieved of the Garland, which is then placed at the top of the St. Edmunds Church tower, where it is left to naturally wither and die. The Queen’s wreath is placed round the Castleton war memorial and in the Castleton market place there is Morris dancing and singing, followed by drinking and much more merriment to cap off a wonderfully enjoyable family day out.

Castleton village museum contains a display of Garland memorabilia which includes an intriguing outfit worn by a King 200 years ago. Incidentally, if Oak Apple Day falls on a Sunday, Castleton holds the ceremony on the Saturday, the 28th May.

Christmas at Castleton

For many families, Christmas is a special time of year – a fact that does not go unnoticed at Castleton. Every December, Castleton can be relied upon to provide charming, seasonal activities for the entire family to enjoy across the whole village.

 At Christmas the village of Castleton takes on a magical appeal with beautiful lights, decorations and an array of attractively tinted Christmas trees that attracts visitors from far and wide. There is nothing else in the country quite like the Christmas experience at Castleton, where so much effort is made every year to make the village a welcome Yule time resort.

The Castleton Christmas lights are usually turned on every November, which is always a pleasant evening to take young ones to and enjoy Castleton ushering in the festive season.

Once in December, Castleton has a plethora of activities to help families celebrate Christmas. Much of these are orientated with children in mind. There is a Santa’s Grotto to visit every weekend in Castle during December, whilst another Father Christmas will parade up and down Castleton village in a horse drawn cart for children to ride in and marvel at.

Several of the Castleton show caves also make a great effort during the festive period. Traditionally, Treak Cliff Cavern holds a series of ‘Carols by Candlelight’ concerts that are immensely popular, heart warming occasions. Similarly, Peak Cavern sells tickets for ‘an Evening of Carol Singing and Brass Band’, which take place several times over the course of the month. These are also communal, celebratory affairs, with free Mulled wine and mince pie for everyone on arrival.

Many of the Castleton shops are open later to accommodate those special Christmas shopping needs, and even get involved in the festive spirit themselves; last year, in tandem with Castleton Visitor Centre, several of Castleton’s shops ran a ‘Santa’s missing Elf’ competition. The Castleton Visitor Centre also ran a Christmas Activity Week, which included craft making and games for children.

Add to all this the distinct possibility of a wonderfully festive snowy backdrop (thanks to how high up Castleton is situated), and it is easy to see why Castleton is such a popular Christmas destination for so many.