The Kington Langley Scarecrow Festival

Every year, on the third weekend in June, my village hosts a scarecrow festival, where for two days our quiet country roads are taken over by straw-stuffed creations that make up the scarecrow trail.

Villagers (myself included!) build their scarecrows around a theme – in 2014 this was musicals. With help from clues in the programme, visitors follow the trail around the village and try to guess as many of the scarecrows as they can. There’s even a £100 prize for the most guessed correctly!

As well as the trail, the village green becomes the home of a little fete, with children’s games, cream teas, cake, BBQ and beer tents and even a craft fair, but the highlight is, of course, the scarecrows themselves. Some people put in an amazing amount of time and effort to create some real masterpieces and also lots of the local children get involved and build their own! Visitors choose which of the children’s and adults scarecrows they love the most and the top three are awarded certificates, with the winner getting their name added to the scarecrow champion plaque!

When I first moved to Wiltshire I’d not heard of a scarecrow festival at all, and thought it was all a little bit weird to be honest. But now I’ve embraced country life and enjoy taking part in all the crazy local traditions, so was super chuffed when our very own scarecrow got a highly commended rosette this year!

Can you guess all the scarecrows? Do you have a scarecrow festival or any other crazy traditions in your home town? Tell us about your weird and wonderful festival experiences…

Find out more about the Kington Langley Scarecrow Festival. More photos from the 2014 weekend are available on the Ladies what…travel Facebook page.

All images © Ladies what…travel