Hunting of the Earl of Rone

Combe Marti's hobby horse custom, the Hunting of the Earl of Rone, takes place over all four days of the Spring Bank Holiday. Nobody knows how old the custom is, but the exploits of the central character, from which the custom takes its name, can be dated to 1607. The custom may be considerably older - even predating Celtic and Christian influences. First recorded as an Ascentiontide tradition taking place over a whole week, by 1837 the custom had degenerated and was banned for drunken and licentious behaviour. Revived over 30 years ago, it moved to the Spring Bank Holiday weekend.

Starting on Friday evening, the Grenadiers, Drummers, Hobby Horse and Fool start hunting around the village. Saturday is the juniors' day, led by children from Combe Martin School. The hunting continues on Sunday afternoon with the addition of a band. Monday evening sees the last hunting when the Earl of Rone is finally captured and paraded back to front on a donkey through the village, accompanied by hundreds of villagers, reaching the beach at sunset.

The custom is unique to Combe Martin and while very much a contemporary event, also provides an historical link back across the centuries to times past.

See also: www.earl-of-rone.org.uk

Contributed by: Jim Needham