Wassail 2025

Friday 31st Jan 5:30 PM - 10 PM 

Sheppy's House of Cider, TA4 1ER

Join Sheppy's Cider to celebrate the ancient ritual of Wassail on Friday, 31st January, 2025

Doors open from 5:30pm - ceremony starts at 6.45pm

Food | Fires | Cider

Join us for an evening of chanting, dancing and tradition to help us ensure that next year’s harvest is a good one.

Wassail gets its name from an old English term “waes hael” meaning “be well” which was shouted like a toast with the reply “drinc hael” meaning “drink and be healthy” at festivities in the darkest days of January as far back as Saxon times. There are several types of Wassailing tradition (most involving hot spiced alcohol) but the important one for all cider-makers is blessing their apple trees.

Itinerary

5:30 pm Gates Open

5:45 pm Food starts (closes 8.15 pm)

6:15 pm Last Admission for Cars

6:45 pm Ceremony begins

8:00 pm Folk dancing and drinking

10:00 pm Event closes

Your £16.50 ticket price covers admission at the gate and food. Drinks (including tea and coffee) will be available to purchase before and after the ceremony. No drinks are included in the ticket.

Why not take public transport to the event? Bus 22 stops directly outside the House of Cider and runs all evening.