Curious Country Customs by Jeremy Hobson

Author:Jeremy Hobson [Hobson, Jeremy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4463-5671-5
Publisher: F+W Media
Published: 2011-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

JULY

Love Feast

Alport Castles Farm, Derbyshire (first Sunday in July)

Although its name might suggest that the Love Feast is connected with ‘flower-power’ and a 1960s hippy festival, the custom began in the 17th century with a group of Nonconformists: to escape persecution, they met at this isolated farm near Alport Castles to worship in secret.

The simple service, held in a barn with a straw-covered floor and nothing but a few rustic wooden benches, maintains the tradition of taking fruitcake and fresh Derbyshire spring water rather than bread and wine. Hymns are sung unaccompanied by music and the water is passed around the congregation in a two-handled loving-cup.

Despite its remote venue (up a track from Hayridge Farm west of Snake Pass just off the A57) and its seemingly unexciting format, this annual service, beginning at 1.30pm, is generally well attended.

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