A hedge of hazel stakes is built in the harbour mud at dawn, as it has been every year since 1159, as penance for a murdered hermit.
These dates are based on when this event usually takes place and have not been confirmed by the organiser for this year. Please check before travelling.
The Horngarth, or Penny Hedge, is one of the oldest surviving customs in England. On the morning before Ascension Day a small hedge is planted in the mud of the upper harbour and must withstand three tides, while a horn is blown and 'out on ye, out on ye' is cried. The story says three knights killed a hermit while hunting and were sentenced to the penance for ever. It takes twenty minutes and is over by breakfast.
