The village of Goathland on the North York Moors has preserved the old tradition of ‘Blessing the Plough’, which takes place in early January every year. Connected with this tradition are a group of sword dancers known as the Goathland Plough Stots, who have their ‘Day of Dance’ on the Saturday after the Plough Blessing. On this day they tour around the village to perform their sword dances, and collect money for the village charity.
I first saw the Plough Stots over 30 years ago, and at that time there was just the one team of men dancing. Some of the dancers lived out of the area or worked away, but they came back to the village for the Day of Dance. One of the dancers told me there was a worry that the tradition might not continue unless they could get more people involved, and teach them the sword dance. Thankfully they managed this, and in the years since then there have been enough people to have two or more teams, along with several junior teams, and currently there are two men’s teams and a ladies team as well.
The 2025 Day of Dance kicked off with The Plough Stots sword dancers, musicians and ‘support team’ making a procession up the main street with their banner and model plough leading the way. They assembled outside the village shops, and as the musicians struck up a tune the three teams performed a series of sword dances for the small crowd that had gathered there. After posing for a group photo, the three teams split up and headed to different parts of Goathland to perform for any villagers who wished to see the Sword dance. Along the way the teams made an extra effort to dance for any older residents who had lived in the village for a long time.
As it was a particularly chilly morning, the men’s team wisely decided to call in at The Inn on the Moor for a warm up and ‘refreshments’. It turned out that the manager of the Inn had been a sword dancer in previous years, and it didn’t take much persuasion for him to pop out from behind the bar and take a turn with the swords. Warmed and refreshed, it was back out for some more ‘house calls’ before a lunch break in the bar of the Goathland hotel. The hospitality of the landlord and staff prompted a round of music and sword dancing in the bar, where it was interesting to see how the dances could be tightened up for smaller spaces – although the raised swords did set the ceiling light swinging at one point.
By early afternoon it was back out into the cold to complete the tour of Goathland, with the 3 teams meeting up and proceeding down to the Birch Hall Inn at Beck Hole for the final dances. Sadly, i had to head off before the visit to Beck Hole, but it had been an enjoyable few hours spent watching this old tradition, and i could have easily made a day of it.
Having seen the Plough Stots quite a few times over the years, they have always been a friendly bunch, and happy to chat to anyone interested in the tradition. The Goathland Day of Dance is a different event to the Boxing day sword dance in Flamborough, but the spirit of keeping a tradition alive is just the same.
“We’re Goodlan Pleeaf Stots com’d ageaan
All decked wi’ ribbon’s fair
Seea noo we’ll do the best we can
An’ the best can deaa neea mair’
The Plough Stots website
Some more information about the Plough Stots on my old website (2000)
Calling the sun
