Coal-door

It was hard to work out at first what the function of this little door was - or what, when it was opened, you might see.

A passer-by explained that it was an old coal-hole.
Most houses' coal-holes would be at ground-level, as the coal-store was often in the house cellar, and the coal merchant could just pour his delivery straight in and down. Presumably this house had no cellar, or coal-shed, so a back-room must have been used - and this unusually high coal-hole was where the load was poured in.

Girls in tablecloths

The venerable Abbots Bromley Girls School was one of the early institutions in this country to educate girls, and it has been independent for over 140 years.

The residents get a treat each year with the Jerusalem Heights aka Commemoration Day Procession, which sees the youngsters process from the school premises through the village along to the church.

The pupils walk not in order of age or year-group, but in order of height, and wear white veils fringed with light blue (unofficially referred to as "the tea-towels") which makes it all rather endearing.
It's not dramatic enough an event to draw tourists, but local residents do stand and smile, as well as parents.

The members of the school choir (see pictures) get to wear an additional ankle-length white veil (unofficially referred to as "tablecloths").  As they go, they wave banners and sing the hymn "Jerusalem my happy home".  

Slightly batty, but then so many English customs are!

UPDATE  Sadly, the school closed its gates for the last time in 2019, so there will be no more such processions

Horns in waiting

The mysterious and ancient Abbots Bromley Horn Dance takes place this year (2015) on Monday 7 September.  I have been a little disenchanted in the past with the sight (of men skipping about in costume wearing antlers on their heads) - but the village does take the whole thing very seriously.

So does the local church, where the antlers & hobby-heads are kept in pride of place permanently waiting for their annual outing. They look rather slyly grim to me.

Eccentric annual event

The 'Abbots Bromley Horn Dance' is Staffordshire's own eccentric annual event.  Every Wakes Day in September, a chosen group of villagers dress up and dance at various locations in and around the village.
The 'horns' - which are in fact sets of antlers - are carried by the main dancers, who are joined by a set of characters who depict a Hobby-Horse, a boy-archer, a Fool and Maid Marion.  It's supposed to be a form of fertility dance, with its roots going back to the 13th century.
I guess it's a form of morris-dancing.

To be honest, it's more interesting to read about than to see, as the dance is rather basic, and the villagers are not skilled dancers (though, of course, they are not supposed to be...).

I saw them this year as they danced on the lawn at Blithfield Hall.

Fame for Bagot Goat

Abbots Bromley is famous for lots of things – including the Bagot Goat. This breed of goat is one of the oldest in England, being first recorded in the 14th century.
It ran wild for centuries round here, but, no longer sadly. It’s now only to be found in rare-breed centres.
I don't know why, but British regiments often choose this type of goat to be their mascots.

I guess it is a type of fame to be represented in a pub-name.

The Bagot Arms is in Abbots Bromley. I suppose it might be argued that the pub is named after the local Bagot family (which maintained, and gave its name to, the goat for all those years), but I prefer to think the pub is named in honour of the goat itself.