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

Newly Updated:

2010 Tours - Wednesday 16th June
Chepstow Joint Pub Tour with The Widders

The Widders performing recently Isca Morrismen dancing the Welsh dance Y Caseg Eira recently in Abergavenny

Isca Morrismen dancing by the castle in Chepstow during the Widders Weekend of Dance

This week we were delighted to be touring in the south east of our area with local side The Widders, a Border Morris group, and we headed over to Chepstow for a short walking tour.

8.30 p.m. Coach and Horses, Chepstow

The Coach and Horses, Chepstow

The Coach and Horses is a 16th century coaching house situated on Welsh Street which still has a set of horse mounting steps on the opposite side of the road standing by a tree.

Once a CAMRA award winning pub, over the years the pub has had good years and bad and is currently on the up as part of the Brains Brewery pub estate. Isca Morrismen have danced here on a number of our summer touring seasons and we enjoyed a lovely warm summer's evening with a few dances outside before sampling their good range of real ales.

Isca Morrismen dancing at the Otley Oct-O-Bar Fest 2009 Isca Morrismen dancing this year outside the Wheatsheaf in Magor

Isca Morrismen dancing outside the Boat Inn during a recent visit to Chepstow

9.30 p.m. Boat Inn, Chepstow

The Boat Inn, Chepstow

The Boat Inn is built on a road known by the unusual name of The Back, an old name for a wharf and this area, which is now a restful riverside amenity area, was in the last century a very busy part of the town known as Gunstock Wharf.

Wharves, timber yards, shipyards and brickyards extended from this point all the way downstream to the Hardwick Cliffs with piles of timber stacked on the foreshore and behind them stood stone built barkhouses for the storage of oak bark for tanning which was the main export during the 18th and 19th centuries.

During the time of the Napoleonic wars wooden merchant ships were built at three shipyards in Chepstow and a plaque on the wall of the nearby Wye Knot Restaurant records the embarkation of the leaders of the Chartist uprising, transported to Van Diemen's Land.

Just outside the Boat Inn opposite the exit road there is now no remaining evidence of the dry dock that was once a prominent riverside feature and across the river from here is "Gloucester Hole", a natural cave half way up the cliff face said to have been used as a tea warehouse. I'm not sure of the tea but we were after stronger liquor following a pleasant dance sesssion outside this delightful old pub.

Isca Morrismen performing this May holiday in the centre of Abergavenny Isca Morrismen dancing on a very recent visit to the Ostrich Inn in the Forest of Dean

A return visit to the main square in Usk during the May tour by the Isca Morrismen Isca Morrismen dancing earlier this month outside another Wheatsheaf in Llanhennock

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 recently at the Spring Fair in Magor

The Isca Morrismen relaxing at the Tredegar House Festival The Isca Morrismen dancing at the recent Tredegar House 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!

Isca Morrismen dancing recently in Schull in Southern Ireland

Isca Morrismen dancing at dawn in Caerleon Ampitheatre this year Dancing to welcome in the dawn this year at Caerleon Ampitheatre

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.