Appleton
Appleton Thorn hosts the ‘Bawming the Thorn’ each June. The ceremony dates from the Nineteenth Century, when it was part of the village’s ‘Walking Day’. It involved children walking through the village and holding sports and games at the school. This now takes place at the Village Hall.
The ceremony stopped in the 1930’s, but later revived by the then headmaster, Mr. Bob Jones in 1967. ‘Bawming the Thorn’ occurs on the Saturday nearest to Midsummer’s Day. Local schoolchildren dance around the tree.
Appleton appeared in the Domesday survey as ‘Epeltune’ and means ‘the tun where the apples grew.’
The Appleton Cross near Pepper Street, reminds us of a Warrington friar, in 1365, Richard de Apulton who was ordained as the sub-deacon at Colwich.
