Large crowd gathers to witness 900-year-old Penny Hedge ceremony in Whitby

In a ceremony dating back to 1159, the Penny Hedge, made out of woven willow sticks, was planted in the estuary of Whitby’s Upper Harbour on Ascension Eve.

According to legend, the Abbot of Whitby imposed a penance on three hunters, Ralph de Percy, William de Bruce and their friend Allatson, and on their descendants for all time, for murdering a hermit on the outskirts of the town at Eskdale.

The hunters were following a wild boar near Whitby. When the boar took refuge in a hermitage at Eskdale, the nobles set upon the monk living there, who had closed the door on the hounds. Before he died, the monk consented to forgive them and spare their lives if they and their descendants would enact a penance.

Each year, on the eve of Ascension Day, on the east bank of the River Esk in Whitby, they had to construct a short hedge from stakes woven together, able to withstand three tides. The instructions stipulated that a knife "of a penny price" was to be used.

The ceremony has been performed on Ascension Eve each year since, by the occupiers of the land formerly owned by the Abbot.

A horn is sounded and followed by the cry "Out on ye! Out on ye! Out on ye!"

The ceremony, which always draws a crowd, saw the hedge being constructed by Bailiff of the Manor of Fyling Court Leet, Lol Hodgson and hornblower Chris Ford from Glaisdale who gave three blasts on the horn, which were followed by three cries of “Out on Ye” by Mr Hodgson.

Mr Hodgson, who has been involved with the Penny Hedge planting for 24 years, said he was pleased with the turnout.

A varied and diiverse crowd gathered to wathc the ceremony. Helen Baczynski moved to whitby recently from South Dakota and was drawn to watch the ceremony after reading about it in the newspaper. Joyce and David Stonehouse were visiting the town from Bingham, Nottinghamd and were attracted tot e cermoney after wreading about it in the Sacred Mysteries column of a national newsppaer

At the end of the ceremony Whitby Community Choir performed The Famous Penny Hedge co-written with Whitby school children some nine or 10 years ago.

Lol Hodgson has been performing the ceremony since 1999, the Bailiff of the Manor of Fyling Court Leet looks after Common Land in their name

Mr If you go back to 1159, the bailiff was effectively the policeman who made sure that the noblemen served their pennance

Mr Hodgson said: “We’re lucky that it’s low tide. I had to come last night to take last year’s down

Amy Arnold, the first female Seneschal to Fyling Court Leet said: “I have to come down and oversee what’s done today as part of my duties and we look after the mallett and the horn and bring it down each year

Lol Hodgson said “It went very well, apart from it was such a filthy mess in the harbour, it was the worst I’ve ever known it, but we’ve every confidence it will definitely stand the test of time for another year. “