Village maypole removed for traditional makeover

A maypole believed to be one of the tallest in the UK has been taken down to be repainted ahead of bank holiday celebrations next month.

The maypole in Barwick-in-Elmet, near Leeds, is removed on Easter Monday every three years to be cleaned before being replaced on the last Monday in May – the spring bank holiday.

This year, the Maypole Festival will take place on 26 May when the pole will be raised and there will be a procession, traditional folk music and dancing.

A crowd of local volunteers turned out to help remove the pole, which is 26m (about 85ft) tall, from its home at the junction of Main Street and The Cross and take it to Hall Tower Field.

It was carried in two sections to the field, where it was placed on trestles ready for painting.

Resident Jill Harrison said: "This is a tradition that has been happening for over 150 years.

"We hope to keep the tradition going. We just have to rally as many people as we can to enjoy the maypole in the village."

The Barwick-in-Elmet festival culminates in a pole climb, a custom that dates back to the 19th Century in which a local man shins up the pole and spins a weather vane on the top.

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