Hobby Horse

Sailor's Hobby Horse Minehead

Photographs and basic information on the Minehead Hobby Horse Tradition of West Somerset.

hobby horse minehead

The Sailor's Hobby Horse doing his thing outside the Old Ship Aground public house at the Harbour, Minehead.

The Minehead Hobby Horse is a folk tradition dating back to at least the 18th Century. The hobby horse is an effigy made up of sack cloth and decorated with ribbons, which 'dances' through Minehead - and sometimes also the neighbouring village of Dunster - performing a variety of antics with a melodeon, accordian and drum folk band following the 'obby oss' through the streets. In Minehead there are three rival hobby horse groups - the Original Sailor's Hobby Horse; the Traditional Sailor's Hobby Horse; and the Town Hobby Horse. All of which are slightly different in look, dance, and sound. The exact origins of the May Day Hobby Horse Festival appear to be unknown, but, may date back as far as the Viking era.

hobby horse hobby horse minehead

Good value accommodation: Bethany Guest House; Lorna Doone Guest House; Sunfield B&B

Pubs in and around Minehead: Duke of Wellington; Hobby Horse Inn; Old Ship Aground; Quay Inn

Restaurants, cafes, and tea rooms in Minehead: Cobblestones Restaurant; Mullions Restaurant; Sashes Restaurant

Places of interest in and around Minehead: Butlins; Cleeve Abbey; Dunster Castle; West Somerset Railway

Nearby towns and villages: Allerford, Bossington, Blue Anchor, Carhampton, Chapel Cleeve, Dunster, Porlock, Minehead, Porlock Weir, Selworthy, Timberscombe, Watchet

Offsite Minehead link: Minehead (Minehead on old postcards)

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