© Richardyt / The Paganhill Maypole Society

The Paganhill Maypole

Welcome To The Web Site of The Paganhill Maypole, Gloucestershire, England.

The Paganhill Maypole is maintained wholly from donations from local people and the fund raising activities of the committee of the Paganhill Maypole Society

1994 — Crown Inn Maypole


In April 1991 the committee elected Michael Eaton, the new landlord of the Old Crown, to be Chairman.

It was decided to save and refurbish the top 40 feet of the Jubilee pole and offer it to the crown if they were interested in re-erecting alongside the newly built Maypole restaurant.

The remainder was returned to the road triangle in order to retain entitlement to the site. The weathervane was entrusted to Mr. Horton for safe keeping.





Paganhill had now been without its maypole for many years. On 1st December 1992 the old Paganhill Maypole Preservation Committee was replaced with the Paganhill Maypole Society. Mike Eaton, landlord of the Old Crown, was Chairman and Bill Chandler also joined the committee.


Plans started with a view to providing a, shorter than usual, 60 foot maypole in the centre of the recently extended Old Crown Car Park. This move coincided with the building of the Maypole Restaurant which extended the facilities offered at the pub. It was also considered perhaps to be a safer location for the maypole but with tenure of the original site being preserved by placement of a 15 foot repainted section of the old maypole on the triangle at the road junction.


In the Autumn of 1993 a replacement pole, a larch tree, was obtained from Cirencester Park. When this arrived it was set up on trestles for de-barking, knotting and other preparatory work in the Old Crown Inn car park.


It was raised up in April 1994 by Ellis’ Cranes of Brookthorpe who were contracted to do the lifting. To protect the pole from traffic it was surrounded by high kerbstones with decorative heathers planted within. On the 8th May its inauguration took place with children from Upfield School dancing round the pole, a tradition that continued at the beginning of each May by the pupils.


Following a four year period of seasoning the maypole was lowered for painting in the traditional colours of red, white and blue, with white horizontal bands at the bottom two thirds and the remaining upper section having spiral bands in the same colours. The top was surmounted with a weather vane and a metal track running up the pole attached to carry flags or lighting. Later, flood-lighting was installed at the base.


The 60ft unpainted pole being raised

Bill Horton raises the union flag at the opening of the May Fair

by the Revd Michael Jeffery

The inauguration of the newly painted pole took place on the 8th May when pupils from Upfield School danced round the pole. The ceremony was combined with the VE Day celebrations.


The first May Fair of modern times took place on 1st May 1999. The pole was blessed by the Revd. Michael Jeffery, vicar of Whiteshill. The occasion included a programme of country and maypole dancing from local schools. There were also stalls, craft displays, a traction and static engine exhibition, various side shows and refreshments.




The newly painted pole in the Crown Inn car park

During the latter part of 2002 and into 2003 there were growing concerns as to the state of the pole and the patches of rot that were becoming increasingly evident. It became necessary for it to be gradually reduced in height, on several occasions, for safety reasons. During this time the committee looked at various options for the pole’s future replacement.


Following its continual decay it was finally removed in April 2004 and was replaced with a temporary pole made cheaply available by the Friends of Westonbirt. This was just prior to the 2004 May Fayre which was moved to the Archway School playing field as it had outgrown the Crown car park site.


Park Junior School Stonehouse, first Dance Trophy winners

Part of the rotted pole

A 15ft section of the Jubilee Pole is erected on the triangle to preserve the tenure of the original site

On the morning of 9th June 2000 the pole survived being reversed into by a brewer’s lorry after it had made an early morning delivery to the pub. There was some damage to the wood and paintwork. Following this the surrounding protective kerbing was increased further in height and the local fire brigade replaced the flag cable wire by way of an exercise.


The May Fairs have continued each year since, with additional attractions varying from line and Morris dancing, clowns and children’s entertainers, dog training displays, mini fun fair, etc. The Society presented the first ever Dance Trophy to Stonehouse Park Junior School.  


At the Society’s AGM in in April 2002 Sue Sutton was elected as chairman with Richard White (vice), Graham Nulty (secretary), Ann Driver (press), Bill Horton (technical consultant), and Peter Harris (treasurer). Other members of the committee were Haydn Sutton, Bill Pennington, Bill King and Roger Bayliss. George Lodge and Richard Palmer were later co-opted on.

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