Next Event
Saturday 06 April & Sunday 07 April
Visiting The Birthplace of Industry
Tour of Coalport & Ironbridge
Friday evening
Singing in The Boat Inn, Jackfield
Saturday
10.30 - Outside the China Museum, Coalport
11.10 - MAWS Craft Centre, Jackfield
12.45 - The Black Swan, Jackfield
14.45 - All Nations, Madeley
Sunday
11.30 - Dancing on the Iron Bridge
With Guests The Ironmen & Severn Gilders
12.30 - The Coracle MicroPub, Ironbridge
13.50 - Ye Olde Robin Hood, Ironbridge
15.30 - The Boat Inn, Jackfield
Last Event
Tuesday 26 December 2023 - Boxing Day
The Black Horse
Tumblefield Rd, Stansted
and
Rose & Crown
High St, Wrotham
Listen to our own Pete Burren chat with Lynn Briggs on West Kent Radio.
Hartley Morris Men, the oldest Morris side dancing in West Kent, have our roots dating back to the Stansted Morris dancers of the mid-1930s. We perform traditional Morris dances in the Cotswold style.
Our regular dance season runs from May until September and traditionally starts at dawn on May Day at the Coldrum Stones Long Barrow, which is even older than us. We dance most Thursdays through the summer, and the odd Tuesday, at some of West Kent’s best pubs and usually end the evening with a few songs. We also perform at various events at weekends where the clashing of sticks and a few beers seem to complement each other.
We’re a mixed bunch, ranging in age from early 20s to the other end of the spectrum. We’re keen to keep this great tradition going and would encourage you to come along and watch or, better still, get involved – we’re always happy to see new faces and teach them the dances.
Over the Christmas period traditional mumming plays are performed by some of our members as The Darent Valley Champions, in aid of local charities.
Wherever we are you’ll usually find the Hartley Horse, who originally erupted from an egg on the beach at Broadstairs many years ago and has followed us around ever since. Generally quite tame he sometimes gets completely out of control but has yet to cause anyone any serious harm, yet!