Ickwell's famous Maypole removed - but a replacement will be in place for the big day in 2027
Ickwell has lost its famous Maypole – for now.
The village Green’s seventh permanent Maypole, a Corsican Pine from the Shuttleworth Estate, lasted just four-and-a-half years before rot was discovered. This made it potentially unsafe, and it had to be felled last week.
A replacement has already been donated and will be painted and put up in time for May Day 2027.
A note from the May Day Committee explains: “We know our maypole looks a little bit sad at the moment. The May Day committee has experts who regularly check on the condition of the pole and it was found to have deteriorated and to have some areas of rot so unfortunately had to be removed for safety reasons.
“The good news, however, is that a replacement pole has been donated and will be prepared and painted over the autumn and winter read to be put in place for next year's festival. Please follow the Ickwell May Day Facebook page for updates.”
Squire John Harvey of Ickwell Bury had the Green’s first permanent Maypole erected in 1872, a whopper at 67ft (20.4 metres). William Blackwell, a Sandy youth, swarmed up it to touch the crown – and was rewarded with 2/6d by an impressed bystander.
One of the May Day entertainments in those days was for cuts of meat to be hung on the pole, which would then be well greased before local lads tried to clamber up it to claim their prizes.
In the 1890s young cricketers were trying to throw a ball over the top, when Mark Endersby lobbed one right into the crown, where it stayed until that first pole had to be replaced in 1910.
Succeeding poles lasted 25, 29, 17, 10 and 40 years. One of those, now with blue stripes, today stands in the carpark of G&M Growers in Upper Caldecote.
The fifth pole was felled by vandals one dark night in February 1976, and after urgent resetting it lasted just six more years
Residents are wishing the May Day committee better luck with the Green’s eighth Maypole