Customs and traditions

The Pancake Bell

Rung on Shrove Tuesday at about noon, the ringing bell originally called people to confession, and acted as a reminder to eat up their eggs and milk by making pancakes before Lent began.

The Passing Bell

Rung on the day of the funeral of a local person, the passing bell tolls a number of times in relation to the age of the deceased. In recent times, during Covid, the bell has been rung to coincide with the funeral cortege passing through the centre of the town so that people unable to attend the funeral could pay their respects.

This ancient custom involves the presentation of a sackful of newly-threshed corn to the Mayor by a local farmer. The Mayor hands this over to a miller, who examines the corn. When he passes favourable judgement on its quality, the Mayor presents the farmer with a bottle of wine. Other bottles are opened and bystanders are invited to join in a toast to the good harvest.

This ceremony – which still takes place today in the Market Place on a Saturday in mid-September – links Richmond with its medieval origins, when the people were dependent on the success of each year’s harvest. Corn was grown on the three great open fields to the north of the town: Westfield, Gallowfield and Eastfield.

The Duck Race is one of the main fundraising events for the Richmond Duck Club, which exists to raise money for young people in the town and its surrounding villages.  

The race takes place on May Day bank holiday and it's quite a sight to see 2,500 plastic ducks tipped into the River Swale from the Green Bridge and serenely float downstream, over the waterfalls to the finishing line at the Batts near the Station Bridge. Money is raised through ticket sales and prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place as well as the last duck home.

Photo credit: Airborne Artwork

The ancient tradition of giving the Freedom of the Town goes back to the Middle Ages.

It is probable that the practice started among the thirteen trade guilds of Richmond where the main purpose was both to ensure a good quality of goods produced in the town, and also to act as a 'closed shop' and keep traders from outside the town from working in Richmond.

In recent years it has been bestowed as an honour to recognise particular services given by individuals and groups to the town, with ceremonies usually taking place in the castle or the market place.

Amongst the recipients are various military regiments and the Royal British Legion. Bestowing the Freedom of the Town allows the regiments to march through the town on ceremonial occasions.

The ‘Poor Old Hoss’ appears in Richmond’s Market Place every Christmas Eve, making his way around the town. Originally a pagan creation, it is a hobby horse with a decorated horse’s skull as its head and is accompanied by a group of mummers in huntsman costumes. He snaps his jaws as the huntsmen sing the song of his life; from a bright young creature who then grows old and is eventually killed. His resurrection completes the ritual, representing the passing of the old year and the beginning of the new. Seeing Old Hoss is thought to bring good luck.

There is a display on Old Hoss at the Richmondshire Museum and a painting depicting the ritual hangs in the Town Hall.

This custom goes back to the Royal Charter given to the town by Elizabeth I in 1576 and states that the Mayor – accompanied by councillors, officers and townspeople – should beat the bounds of the town every seven years.

In modern times, this takes the form of a 15-mile walk around the perimeter of the town. It usually takes place on the last Wednesday of August, allowing children to join in during their summer holiday. The next Boundary Riding is scheduled to take place in 2025.

Accompanying the walk is a procession that includes:

The Pinder, carrying as Pioneer, the Axe for the removal of any obstruction to the progress of the Riding.
The Banner Bearer, with the Town Banner. He is followed by an ATC cadet carrying the Freedom Sword presented to the Town by the RAF Regiment when they were given the Freedom of the Town
Two Halberdiers carrying their halberds and wearing their cloaks
Two Macebearers carrying the Great Mace and the Restoration Mace
The Mayor carrying the Mayor's Silver Mace in civic robes, accompanied by the Town Clerk
At some points along the route, proclamations are made against the adjoining parishes and Lords of the Manor.

The proclamation:

Oyez Oyez Oyez. I do in the name of the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Richmond, Lords of the Manor and Borough of Richmond in the County of York hereby proclaim and declare this to be the ancient and undoubted boundary of the said Manor and Borough against the Manors or Lordships of:

Hipswell/Hudswell, Easby, Aske, Hipswell/Hudswell

God Save the Queen and the Lords of the Manors.

At two points along the route the Mayor is carried on the back of the Waterwader to the centre of the River Swale as the boundary at these points runs along the centre of the river. It is not unusual for the Mayor to get wet at these stages!

Having proceeded along the boundary to Sandford House where an outbuilding straddles the boundary, the Mayor casts a stone over the roof to denote that the boundary runs through the building.

At the completion of the walk, the Town Clerk records the names of all who completed the full distance of the boundary and they receive a certificate.