Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival

Choose the right day

The organiser’s general description places the main procession on Saturday and the burning of the Bear on Sunday. It describes a usual Saturday start of 10.30am and an afternoon finale. Those are established patterns, not a confirmed 2027 timetable. Wait for the edition’s programme before fixing your arrival time.

The story behind it

The Straw Bear belongs to the old farming calendar. On the Tuesday after Plough Monday, the first Monday after Twelfth Night, a member of the local plough fraternity was wrapped from head to toe in twisted straw and led around Whittlesey, dancing outside houses in return for money, beer or food. Harvesters picked the best straw for him each year. The custom faded towards the end of the 19th century, and the last recorded bear appeared in 1909, when an over-zealous police inspector banned it as a form of begging. In 1980 the Whittlesea Society brought the bear back, thanks largely to Brian Kell, who later received a British Empire Medal for his work. The bear now parades on the Saturday and is burned on the Sunday, ready for a new one made from the next harvest.

Getting there

The railway station is named Whittlesea. Check the station operator’s facilities and access information when planning a rail visit; the town and festival use different spellings. Event-day train times and the walking route to the procession still need checking.

Watching and joining in

Plan a spectator visit around the published route rather than assuming that the procession stays in one place. Evening events and storytelling may have separate arrangements. Admission prices, accessible viewing and the 2027 programme have not been verified for this guide.

Where to watch

The Bear gives the weekend its name, but the dancing around it deserves your attention too. The organiser’s history lists Molly, Morris, clog and sword dancing, plus Appalachian dancing, street performance and Mummers plays. Watch how each group uses its space — footwear, formations and music can make two back-to-back performances feel worlds apart. A decorated plough also joins the modern procession, a nod to the farming custom behind it all.

The history page shows how broad the festival has been over the years, but it doesn’t promise every style at every edition, so check the new programme to see which teams are coming. With children in tow, picking a few contrasting dances can be easier than trailing the Bear all day. Keep the performance area clear and wait for a dance to finish before you cross it. There’s plenty to enjoy from the edge of a dance space without stepping into the procession’s path.

Taking part

Today’s costume is built to come off. According to the organiser’s history, straw is fixed to a garment and the head sits on a metal frame carried at the shoulders — a practical answer to the weight and the length of the appearance, with two people taking turns inside. That shambling figure is the product of a great deal of preparation and plain hard work.

Bear it in mind (sorry) when the Bear stops, turns or needs room. Let its keeper and attendants steer the encounter; don’t tug at the straw or expect the performer to halt wherever a camera points. For children, watching the double act between Bear and keeper can be half the fun. A photo from a little further back captures the whole costume and the dance teams around it. And since the person inside can’t see much, stay visible and let the procession come to you rather than stepping into its route.

Accessibility and families

The festival runs over three days, but that doesn’t mean three identical chances to see the Bear. The organiser’s history puts the main street appearance on Saturday, before the burning on Sunday, while its FAQs mention storytelling and evening events around the weekend. Start with the part you most want to see, then fit any extra sessions around it once the programme is out.

For a first visit, a stretch of the procession and a handful of dances may be all you need to give the day shape. Sunday is different: it’s when that particular straw costume meets its end. So don’t promise children a Bear roaming all weekend just because the dates span three days. Ask the organisers about practical arrangements for whichever session you pick, including any separate tickets and public access — their published email is the place for questions the new programme doesn’t answer. An old leaflet won’t tell you next year’s locations.

Make a day of it nearby

Whittlesey Museum is the extra stop with the closest link to the festival. Its collection pages include a replica Straw Bear, festival badges and programmes — great if you’re curious about how the custom has been recorded as well as seeing it live. The badges change design every year, and the programmes also keep traces of local businesses and other town events. Check the museum’s current opening rather than assuming festival crowds mean longer hours.

For the bigger Fenland picture, head to Flag Fen Archaeology Park. Its official Discover page describes preserved Bronze Age causeway remains, a roundhouse experience and the Must Farm log boats found near Whittlesey. That’s a proper outing in its own right, so give it a separate day or stretch the weekend rather than squeezing it between dances, and check Flag Fen’s seasonal opening first. The two suit different moods: one rooted in the town’s community life, the other in a far older wetland landscape.

Questions people ask

Where it is

Map pin shows the approximate area where the event happens. Open in OpenStreetMap ↗

Go straight to the source

Independent research. The organiser’s own information always wins — we have not visited or tested the journeys.

• Organiser future festival dates ↗
• Organiser description of the weekend ↗
• Whittlesea station information from Greater Anglia ↗
• Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival: history ↗
• Organiser: announced dates ↗
• Organiser: festival FAQs ↗
• Organiser: costume and dance traditions ↗
• Whittlesey Museum: Straw Bear collections ↗
• Flag Fen: Discover ↗