Rescorla Festival, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, is an annual event showcasing the customs and traditions of the Clay Country through music, dance, food & drink, walks and talks and much, much more.

The Festival will include a revival of the Snail Creep, a Cornish dance that was last performed sixty years ago, and a literary event featuring readings from Clay Country author Alan Kent and others.

The event is free to the public and promises activities and entertainment for all ages. Download the festival programme here.

For more information, click the links below.

The village of Rescorla is situated approximately three miles North-East of St Austell and lies in the parish of Treverbyn, near to the villages of Roche, Bugle, Penwithick and Luxulyan.
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The Festival will take place in a field adjoining the Village, with further events taking place at the Chapel and the China Clay Country Park in nearby Wheal Martyn. Full Directions are included in the festival programme.

The festival will take place on Friday 27th, Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th June 2008.

The cornerstone of the event will be the revival of the Snail Creep, a processional dance particular to the area that was last preformed in Rescorla over sixty years ago. Although this dance was performed for many hundreds of years it has not been performed since the 1940s. The dance and a number of associated workshops and events will be co-ordinated by Pyba, a dance group specialising in traditional Cornish folk performances. Here's a video of a re-enactment of the Snail Creep:

A major aspect of the Rescorla Festival project will be an in-depth study of the customs and traditions of the Clay Country, past and present. This will primarily be through collecting recorded oral history interviews, archive materials and also the exhibition and dissemination of findings at the Festival itself, the roadshows and other events. This aspect of the project will provide ample opportunities for people to get involved in the project in lots of different ways.
Click here to find out how you can help us with the Festival.

If you live in the Clay Country or are interested in finding out more or getting involved in the Festival, come along to one of our roadshows taking place across the Clay Country in the months running up to and following the Festival.

Roadshows will be a chance for volunteers to help out with the Festival, view and share history and archives such as old photos and learn more about the project through exhibitions and talks. Come along, bring a friend… refreshments are on us!

See the What’s New page or contact us to find out about roadshow events near you.

Click here to find out how you can help us with the Festival.