Sowerby Bridge Rushbearing sees a troupe of people in straw hats pulling a cart piled high with rushes around some of Calderdale’s most beautiful villages.

The popular festival takes place this year on Saturday, September 7 and Sunday, September 8, and usually attracts huge crowds.

The rush cart – with the “rush maiden” perched on top – is hauled down country lanes and up some steep hills by a team of strong volunteers who make stops at churches and pubs in Sowerby Bridge and its surrounding villages.

They are accompanied along the way by groups of musicians and morris dancers, providing entertainment for those who come to watch the spectacle.

The festival was originally revived for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 and this year it will mark the coronation of King Charles.

Organisers have raised over £20,000 for good causes, and the weekend contributes significantly to the local economy.

The custom dates back many centuries to when church floors consisted of little more than stones or bare earth, and rushes were used as a covering.

Each year, in late summer, the old and rotten rushes were cleared out and new ones taken to the churches. In some areas, this annual activity developed into a celebration involving revelry, music and dancing.

Previously: No Rush! Saddleworth Independent witnesses the creation of the Rushcart