Dartington May Day

May Day celebrated by Dartington schoolchildren

Dartington prepares for May Day and holds a procession. Children from the local school make leafy headdresses to celebrate the first day of summer. May Day celebrations may come from Floralia Day and the Roman goddess of Flowers, Flora. Typical revels include morris and maypole dancing and the nomination of a Queen of May.

Dartington is a village located on the River Dart in Devon near to Totnes. The nearby Dartington Hall is run by a trust set up by the Elmhirsts, its owners from 1925 and has schools specialising in the arts, social justice and sustainability. Its disused cider press is now a shopping centre on the estate and the Dartington Hall School (1926-1987) was a co-educational boarding school located in the grounds. The Trust also funds the successful Beaford Arts Centre in North Devon.