MORE than 250 revellers descended on Sheppy’s House of Cider at Bradford-on-Tone to celebrate the ancient tradition of Somerset orchard wassailing.

This long-standing ritual is an important part of cider-making heritage as it chases away the evil spirits in the orchard, awakens the benevolent ones and ensures a plentiful harvest.

The ingredients of a good wassail are noise, fire, guns, hot cider and plenty of people to sing and shout the ancient wassail songs.

The proceedings last Thursday were expertly led by Mike Highfield and the Taunton Deane Morrismen, who guided the crowd through the ancient ceremony with plenty of singing, dancing and noise-making.

David and Louisa Sheppy, the sixth generation of Sheppy’s cider-makers, welcomed visitors as last year’s queen Rossy Sheppy crowned Wellington woman Aylish Cole as 2019 Wassail Queen.

The Wassail Queen’s role is pivotal as she toasts the crowds, waters the tree’s roots with cider, places cider-soaked toast in the apple tree boughs, and leads the crowds in honouring the trees and ensuring a bountiful orchard.

Ticket sales will support St Margaret’s Somerset Hospice, which will receive a donation in due course.