A friendly society for lovers of folklore, folk dance and the old ways, with branches across Britain wherever the old paths are still walked. Walkers, dancers and delvers of every kind are welcome.
“Every path returns to the centre.”
About the Circle
We are a folklore society of local branches across Britain, from the Welsh hills to the Scottish borders. We collect songs, customs, dances and tales, and we share them at meetings, on the radio and at our annual dance. Most of our members are cheerful amateurs. A few are eminent folklorists and historians who are far too modest to say so.
The single winding path turns up all over the world: the Minoan labyrinth, the Scandinavian stone rings, the turf mazes of England, and here in Wales the Caerdroia, the “city of turns” that shepherds once cut into the hillside. We take it as our sign, and our badge is a tree whose every branch is a winding path. Follow the path faithfully and it brings you to the centre, and out again.
Our members trace the Circle’s roots a very long way back. Its modern form dates from the eighteenth century, when Joseph Williamson of Edge Hill left a generous bequest to the society. Since then it has drawn in travellers, scholars and seekers of lost knowledge from every walk of life.
Monmouthshire branch notices
Monmouthshire’s favourite gathering for lovers of folklore and tradition. Dances of both kinds, Cotswold and Border. Every contribution lifts the evening, so bring your bells, your sticks and your best foot.
Members of the Circle join Alan Mickle on Borderline Radio, the station on the edge, for our regular chat about local history and the hidden meanings of folk songs.
Our newest member, Wyn Haffenden, has inherited Treowen, one of the finest seventeenth-century gentry houses in the county. Wyn is keen to hear from anyone with an interest in literature or history who can help piece together the story of the place, its revels and its traditions.
From the Papers of the Circle
Membership
Membership is open to anyone who cares about the traditions of the past and the safety of the future. Each new member widens the Circle, and each member’s offering enriches the whole. To apply:
Find us some poetic history, and you too could walk with the Labyrinthine Circle. See you at the dance!
Members’ corner
Fellow Circler,
If you are reading this, you have already noticed something at Treowen that the rest of the guests have not. Good. Keep noticing.
The Circle has always been a little more than a dancing club. Write down what you see, keep to the path, and do not wander the house alone after the clocks have stopped making sense.
Bring what you find to the next meeting. We will be glad of you.
The Branch Secretary