Northwest Morris

Northwest Morris dances were inspired by workers in the cotton weaving industries in the North West of England. Some believe the patterns danced represented the designs and working of the looms and shuttles.

North West Morris has a processional style which is strongly linked to rushbearing and wakes weeks. Wakes weeks were the annual shutdown (holiday) weeks in the industrial towns of Northern England, especially Lancashire mill towns.

Unlike some other Morris traditions, the dances were performed by men, women and children.

The connection with clogs is because they were the traditional working footwear in the mills. North West Morris often took place to accompany the fairs which took place during factory shut down week, and is said to have had its heyday in the mid 19th / early 20th century.

This video is created by the Morris Federation and shows some of the Northwest sides appearing at the Swanage Folk Festival. it features:

• Taeppas Tump is a women’s North West Morris side based in Maidenhead, Berkshire. They prospective new members (dancers or musicians). In the video you will notice that the dancers wear burgundy and green skirts and aprons and decorated straw hats. The band (which includes men and women) wear burgundy shirts, white trousers and top hats. The video shows Taeppas Tump doing the Cheshire Show dance, performed on New Year?s eve.
• Pump House Clog Morris are a friendly and welcoming mixed North West Morris side from Watford. Pump House Clog Morris takes its name from The Pump House Theatre and Arts Centre in Watford, where they have practiced on Monday evenings since 1979! The video was taken at the Swanage Folk Festival in 2019.
• Oyster Girls Morris is a ladies Morris dance side from the Isle of Wight. The side has been dancing since 1981. they mainly dance in the north-west tradition and wear clogs. Many of their dances originate from the north-west of England? other dances have been arranged in a similar style and given local Island names. The video shows Oyster Girls completing the Green Willow dance.Many thanks to Brian Kelly of the Morris Federation for this great video and the background information.