Every year, from early September to late October, people from far and wide come to All Saints Church in Siddington to experience a traditional celebration of harvest time and to marvel at the unique display of over 1000 beautiful corn dollies.

Corn dollies are ancient symbols, traditionally made from the last sheaves of a corn harvest which were supposed to contain the corn spirit. They were then kept over winter and broken open in the spring to release the corn spirit and ensure a good harvest for the coming year. Today they form a central part of the annual harvest thanksgiving.

The Siddington dollies were all hand-made by the late Raymond Rush. Raymond was a local farmer and a stalwart of the church. He received Maundy Money from Queen Elizabeth 11 at Windsor Castle and in return he left behind one of his dollies.

Fortunately, Raymond’s daughter Claire has developed her own skills in corn dolly making and so this spectacular tradition lives on.