The Isca Morrismen, Traditional Morris Dancers from South Wales performing Welsh Border and Cotswold Morris dances together with local Mumming Plays, Wassailing ceremonies and the Mari Lwyd custom.

Welcome to the Isca Morrismen Website - Home of the Traditional Morris Dancers from South Wales performing Welsh Border and Cotswold Morris dances together with local Mumming Plays, Wassailing ceremonies and the Mari Lwyd custom

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2009 Tours - Thursday 2nd July
Joint Pub Tour with Mendip Morrismen

Isca Morrismen dancing at the Tredegar House Folk Festival earlier this year The Mendip Morrismen dancing on one of our tours at the Beaufort Hotel in Chepstow

This week we are delighted to travel across the border into England for a joint tour with our friends from the Mendip Morrismen. Both dancing spots tonight are set in the countryside between the Mendip and Quantock Hills in Somerset and we hope that the weather is kind to us as we head to our first spot just outside Wraxall at an earlier time than usual.

And for tonights local history lesson - Wraxall Court was a very old manor house which was given to the De Wrokeshale family after the Norman conquest. The name 'Wraxall' means 'A nook of land frequented by buzzards' which doesn't sound too friendly although I'm sure we'll still get a good welcome.

8.00 p.m. Old Barn at Wraxall

The Old Barn at Wraxall

Isca Morrismen dancing in Usk during our recent May Bank Holiday tour

The Old Barn is a barn conversion which opened as a pub around eleven years ago and is extremely popular with the locals. Barrels are lined up at the back of the bar with traditional cider also stocked.

Situated on the edge of Wraxhall in beautiful countryside, the pub has two main drinking areas, both with the emphasis on peaceful calm and comfort.

The pub has a lovely rustic feel with a fantastic set of decorations, from deactivated shotguns to old field ploughs mounted on the wall.

Isca Morrismen dancing in Usk recently on a warm summer evening Isca Morrismen dancing at the ampitheatre to welcome in the dawn on 1st May 2009

After a few beers we move on to Nailsea, a former coal mining town since the 16th century. By the late 1700s, the town had a large number of pits which attracted John Robert Lucas, a glass manufacturer, in 1788 and the glass works he established would eventually become the fourth largest in the United Kingdom.

Though the works closed down in 1873, 'Nailsea' glass is still much sought after by collectors around the world. The remains of many of the old pits, most of which had closed down by the late nineteenth century as mining capital migrated to the richer seams of South Wales, are still visible around the town and Nailsea is now better known for its 'Nailsea Carpentry'.

9.00 p.m. Blue Flame Inn, Nailsea

The Blue Flame Inn, Nailsea

The Blue Flame is a very special pub and a Nailsea institution which sits on a lane in the country with little but cows and horses for miles around. Whilst some pubs turn themselves into sleek contemporary lounges, the Blue Flame cracks open barrels of rough cider, throws some stuffed badgers in the doorway and invites all farmers nationwide to take part in a bit of bridge - an absolutely brilliant untouched pub.

If you want the perfect pint then this is the place for you as the pints are always straight from the barrel and you could well be served with a full slab of cheddar and some tangy onion as well.

The decor resembling a blokes house that has been converted into a pub and there is a huge outside seating area which is essentially half a well kept football pitch - all in all a rather unique experience!

The Isca Morrismen dancing outside the Hen and Chickens in Abergavenny last month

Isca Morrismen dancing recently in Schull in Southern Ireland

Do come and see us at some stage and if you have a liking for tradition then you will be made very welcome. For those males amongst you who enjoy a pint or two and would like to keep fit then you will be ideal as a dancer.

Isca Morrismen dancing in Aas, Belgium during a recent performance at the Akkermennekes Dance Festival Isca Morrismen at the Kulture Klub in Zolder Heusden, Belgium during a recent performance at the Akkermennekes Dance Festival

If you are a musician of either sex who enjoys folk music, then again you will be well received, so whatever instrument you play, provided that it is portable, come and join us and learn our music. Come along and we'll ensure that you enjoy yourself and hopefully come back for more as we tour our area over the summer months.

If you require any more information then please check our Contact and Feedback page for our current officers telephone numbers or email us at our address: Enquiries 'at' Isca-Morrismen.com. We are a lively bunch and travel a fair bit with our activities, both in the UK and Overseas, so come on - contact us today and join in the fun, you'll not regret it!

Click here to visit the website of the Otley Brewing Company

Click here to visit the website of Tomos Watkin Welsh Ales

Click here to visit the website of The Mount Pleasant

This year we are delighted that our traditional dancing programme is being sponsored by local Welsh Breweries, producers of excellent real ale to whom we are grateful for their wholehearted support.

Please enjoy their real ales and visit their websites to learn more by clicking on the pictures.

We also acknowledge the support and encouragement of The Mount Pleasant in Old Cwmbran, our after-practice venue during the winter.