Don’t be spooked if you see hundreds of people marching into the woods with flame-lit torches, banging drums and chanting folk tunes this weekend.

Although it might look like something from medieval England, it is nothing to fear – just village folk coming together to celebrate the pagan ritual of wassail.

The ancient tradition has been practised across the country for hundreds of years with the first recorded event held in Fordwich, near Canterbury, in 1585.

Taking place on the twelfth night after Christmas, wassailing typically involves visiting an orchard – usually one growing apples or pears – for singing, dancing and drinking to ensure a plentiful harvest that year.

Traditionally, it involved farm workers blessing the trees and making as much noise as possible to scare away bad spirits and then being rewarded by the owner with drinks.

Groups of people would also call from house to house singing songs and spreading good wishes – something which has become better associated with Christmas carolling.

The tradition is still celebrated across the country but is particularly popular in areas which provide cider such as Somerset, Devon and Kent.

And in an apple orchard in New Ash Green, between Gravesend and Sevenoaks, the old tradition is still very much alive and kicking.

“It was a bit of an excuse for a party before the farmer went back to work on the fields after the winter,” one of the founders of the revived wassail, Jerry Ash explains.

“We think of it as a bit of a merger of all winter traditions like carol singing, Halloween and the Twelfth Night.”

Carole Trowbridge, who was also involved in resurrecting the ancient ritual, added: “Years ago, people were more attuned to nature and thought this would make a difference to the crop.

“They would chant and wish good health to the trees before leaving them to rest until the spring.”

Jerry and Carole are both members of the New Ash Green Woodlands Group which started as a volunteer project to restore the 100-year-old apple orchard near Nine Horse Wood which had been neglected.

“We rescued the overgrown orchard about 20 years ago,” Jerry said. “As soon as we started working on it, we made a massive impact straight away.

“It was a forgotten corner of New Ash Green.

“After about three or four years somebody first mentioned wassail. Most of us did not know what it was but thought we should give it a go.

“Our first year, we had no idea who or how many people would come but we filled the local pub.”

Carole added: “We met in the orchard, the pub provided mulled wine, we had flame torches and chants, it was as simple as that to start with.

“People really enjoyed it and the following year we were being asked if we would be wassailing again. It just took off.”

This year will be the group’s 15th wassail as it was not held during the pandemic and previous events have seen around 150 people gather in the woods.

They meet at the New Ash Green Village Hall where there are morris and clog dancers from the West Hill Morris, from Dartford, and St Clements Clog, from Gravesend, followed by a flame-lit torch procession as darkness falls.

Carole added: “As soon as it is dark, we step outside with the torches and all you can hear are the flames.

“It is absolutely magical.”

Attendees then march into the middle of the orchard, which has been lit by fairy lights and decorated, while singing folk and wassailing songs, and banging drums before making their good wishes to the crop.

Toast is hung in the trees for the birds and youngsters are chosen as “robins” and sat in the lower branches and fed bread and cheese.

There is also a minute of silence held around one of the bigger trees, known as the King, before the group erupt into noise to ward away the evil spirits and parasites.

Jerry said: “This is our first year back since the pandemic but there is a sense that the community is trying to get back to normal so people are looking forward to it.

“It attracts a whole range of people. Some people just love New Ash Green, most of us living here do.

“It is a really fun event.”

Carole added: “It is a crazy, community event but we think it raises awareness of the orchard and connects the community with it and tradition.”

This year's event is being held today (Saturday, January 6) but preparations, including the making of torches, whistles and mugs, have been ongoing since September.