A TRADITION not practised in Wellington for 150 years was revived on Saturday (June 27) as part of St John’s Parish Church patronal weekend festival.

Hundreds of people joined in ‘clipping the tower’, processing around the outside of the church and joined hands to encircle it.

People were blessed by the rector the Rev Colin Simpson as they were led through a willow archway next to the main door where ‘Bishop Blaize’ and ‘St Brigit’ also greeted them.

Bootstrap Border Morris musician Laura Gilham in the willow arch through which a human chain was led to encircle St John's Church.People start to gather outside St John's Church to take part in 'clipping the tower' on Saturday.Christine Williams with the Wellington Museum stall for St John's Church patronal festival.A training bell was on display at the St John's Church patronal festival to give people a taste of what bellringing is all about.Wellington Folk and Custom Society founder Lee Edmead (left) with St John's Church Rector the Rev Colin Simpson, and Wellington Mayor Cllr Mark Lithgow between' St Brigit' and 'Bishops Blaize'.Visitors are blessed by the Rev Colin Simpson as they are led through a willow arch to encircle St John's Church.Visitors make their way around St John's Church for the 'clipping the tower' ceremony.The lead group of visitors reappears at the head of a column encircling St John's Church.A human archway created by Morris dancers and guest visitors formed an exit for the 'clipping the tower' visitors at St John's Church, Wellington.After circling St John's Church visitors made their way through an archway of Morris dancer staves.'Clipping the tower' was revived as part of the patronal festival weekend for St John's Church, Wellington.The tower of St John's Church, Wellington, towers over guests at the patronal festival.The bellringing team who took part in the patronal festival for St John's Church, Wellington.Toys and books were being sold to boost the coffers of St John's Church, Wellington, during the patronal festival weekend.A reminder of the religious side to the patronal festival of St John's Church, Wellington.Violinist Laura Gilham is framed by a willow arch through which a human circle was formed for 'clipping the tower' at St John's Church, Wellington.

Bootstrap Border Morris musician Laura Gilham in the willow arch through which a human chain was led to encircle St John's Church.

People start to gather outside St John's Church to take part in 'clipping the tower' on Saturday.

Christine Williams with the Wellington Museum stall for St John's Church patronal festival.

A training bell was on display at the St John's Church patronal festival to give people a taste of what bellringing is all about.

Wellington Folk and Custom Society founder Lee Edmead (left) with St John's Church Rector the Rev Colin Simpson, and Wellington Mayor Cllr Mark Lithgow between' St Brigit' and 'Bishops Blaize'.

Visitors are blessed by the Rev Colin Simpson as they are led through a willow arch to encircle St John's Church.

Visitors make their way around St John's Church for the 'clipping the tower' ceremony.

The lead group of visitors reappears at the head of a column encircling St John's Church.

A human archway created by Morris dancers and guest visitors formed an exit for the 'clipping the tower' visitors at St John's Church, Wellington.

After circling St John's Church visitors made their way through an archway of Morris dancer staves.

'Clipping the tower' was revived as part of the patronal festival weekend for St John's Church, Wellington.

The tower of St John's Church, Wellington, towers over guests at the patronal festival.

The bellringing team who took part in the patronal festival for St John's Church, Wellington.

Toys and books were being sold to boost the coffers of St John's Church, Wellington, during the patronal festival weekend.

A reminder of the religious side to the patronal festival of St John's Church, Wellington.

Violinist Laura Gilham is framed by a willow arch through which a human circle was formed for 'clipping the tower' at St John's Church, Wellington.

Although widespread in past centuries, the practice died out in the mid-1800s and St John’s is believed to be the only church in the Westcountry to have re-established it.

The multi-faith event was planned by Wellington Folk and Custom Society, which has been reviving many of the town’s age-old customs which had long since died out.

It also holds a ‘Blaize and Brigit’ night annually where members become for a year ‘Bishop Blaize’, the patron saint of wool-combers, and ‘St Brigit’, patron saint of spinners/weavers, to reflect Wellington’s historic connections with the woollen mill trade.

Bootstrap Border Morris musicians rehearse ahead of 'clipping the tower' at St John's Church.

‘Clipping’ the church tower comes from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning to ‘clasp or embrace’ something.

Mr Simpson said the patronal festival gathering was about ‘gratitude, community, and love’.

The afternoon also involved ringing the church bells, performances by Bootstrap Border Morris, a number of stalls inside the building by organisations incuding Wellington Museum, the Friends of Wellington Hospital, and Transition Town Wellington, followed by drinks and snacks.

A number of stalls were organised inside St John's Church, Wellington, for its patronal festival weekend.
A number of stalls were organised inside St John's Church, Wellington, for its patronal festival weekend. (Tindle News)

There was also a training bell to give visitors a taste of bellringing, with some going one step further, 62 steps, actually, to climb to the ringing chamber where they were able to chime a bell before climbing more steps to see the bells for themselves.

On Sunday, a 9.30 am communion service was scheduled, and the patronal festival concluded with Ad Hoc Voices performing evensong at 5.30 pm.