YOUNGSTERS at Great Bedwyn Primary School revived the Anglo Saxon tradition of wassailing on Monday evening to encourage their new orchard to grow.

Class 5 planted the orchard in November as part of The Pippin Project, organised by the Pound Arts Centre in Corsham.

The centre, along with artist Scott Farlow and composer Karen Wimhurst, has been working with four schools across Wiltshire to create four new orchards.

The nine and ten-year-olds celebrated with a fairy light procession around traditional wassail dancing and sang songs with Great Bedwyn Millennium choir.

Teacher Louise Carlisle said: “The children really enjoyed themselves and we had hot mulled apple juice and apple cake the children had made. They wrote the music and the songs and performed on a variety of instruments.

“They had written their own manifesto about looking after the orchard so they knew it was for everybody at the school and the community and something special that needs to be looked after.”