Terrifying fire festivals are a New Year’s Eve tradition in parts of Britain. In Allendale New Years, wearing the Tar Barl is considered a men-only job. They have been parading through Allendale with flaming tar-filled whiskey barrels balanced on their heads for generations. No one knows exactly how or when it started, but what a holiday show it does.
The Tar Barl
The origins of the Allendale Tar Barrel festival, or Tar Barl as it is called around, could be in ancient times, lost to history. Or they could be as recent as the mid-1800s. It depends on who you ask.
One theory holds that when one windy night prevented the candles for a band concert from remaining lit, someone came up with the brilliant idea of using a barrel of tar to light the proceedings. The most definitive accounts date back to the festival’s inception in 1858. Whatever its beginnings, the roots of the fiery festival undoubtedly lie in the very Northern European / Viking drive to light huge winter fires and drink heavily behind similar flame celebrations. around the world. the United Kingdom . English poet Laureate Philip Larkin was a fan of the Allendale Festival.
Test of strength and courage
This is a manly event. Only men from Allendale, a Northumbrian town on the edge of the North Pennines, can participate. According to the results of the BBC report t, a pair of spinster sisters who had created some of the costumes used for the event were allowed to participate in the 1950s – after much village debate. But nowadays mothers, wives, and girlfriends can wring their hands and worry on the sidelines, but only the men carry the barrels.
A total of 45 hereditary barrel bearers, called guisers , participate. The name may sound like a foreign word of Viking origin (the first Viking forays into England were along the Northumbrian coast). It’s actually just a shortened version of “costumes” because the participants wear colorful costumes and costumes.
Flaming climax
Guisers parade through town swinging burning whiskey barrels over their heads, throwing sparks and flames blown by the wind. The barrels can weigh up to 35 pounds. Men who can no longer handle the weight of the barrels, as well as others who just want to participate, can carry lighted torches. Around midnight, people leave the bars to join the procession.
Everyone gathers in the center of the village where they light a large bonfire, known as the Baal fire or the Barl fire, with the barrels of tar. Spectators and participants shout and chant: “Damn he who shoots last!”
The environment, no doubt lubricated with copious amber nectar, is wild, loud, good-humored, and a bit scary. Although it seems incredibly dangerous, the local fire department reports that no one has been injured during the celebrations.
Essential information and quick facts
- What: A New Year’s Eve fire celebration and a test of courage in the north of England.
- When: New Years Eve, from pub closing time to a climax in the city center around midnight.
- Where: Allendale, a Northumbrian village in the North Pennines, south of the Tyne.
- Entrance: Free
- How to get there: Allendale is about 34 kilometers west of Newcastle-upon-Tyne on the A69.
- Where to stay: Allendale is difficult to get to by public transportation, but you may not want to drive on unfamiliar country roads on New Years Eve. If you decide to stay, The Kings Head in downtown Allendale has some nice and reasonably priced rooms. Or check the Allendale Town Tourist Information section of the Northumberland website. The site has a good accommodation search feature and we found a modest variety of places to stay, from castle hotels to hostels and campsites.
Things to do the day after
If you’re staying in Allendale to celebrate the New Years after the Baal Fire, you probably don’t want to do much more than have a good rest on New Years Day. If you want to enjoy your surroundings, this part of Northumberland is rich in ancient and Viking history that is worth exploring. But dress warmly. Here are some things you can do on New Years Day:
- Visit Hadrian’s Wall: Hadrian’s Wall and Housesteads Roman Fort Visitor Center are located about 20 kilometers from the pretty village of Haydon Bridge. The fascinating excavations of the Roman fort of Vindolanda are at this same distance, near Bardon Mill. And as you tremble in the open wasteland in January, think of Roman legionaries from the Mediterranean and Africa writing to their families in search of warm socks. You can see some of his letters in Vindolanda, some of the first Roman letters found.
- See the Great History Exhibition at Hexham Abbey: The 7th century abbey, which is still an active church, is described as one of Northumbria’s best free sights. It somehow survived the Viking invasions of Northumbria, and the Big Story exhibit promises “1,300 years of monks, blood, and much more.”
- Discover the High Force Waterfall – England’s largest waterfall produces the full force of the River Tees, gathering forces miles from its source like a trickle in the High Pennines. It twists and flows over several sets of rapids before plunging, thunderous, 70 feet into a deep pool. It is reached by a smooth, downhill, gravel road about a third of a mile from the paid parking lot. It’s open from 10 am to 4 pm in winter and there is a small admission charge. It’s one of those rare waterfalls that can be reached without a strenuous hike or climb, so it might be just right for your New Years Day, after your Tar Barl hangover. It is about 21 miles from Allendale, near the town of Forest-in-Teesdale.
