Scarecrow Festival at Rufford Old Hall

Scarecrow Festival dates 

It's not long now until the grounds will be filled with scarecrows, and we would like to invite everyone to come along. The festival will run from Fri 18 Oct to Sun 3 Nov, please note we are closed on Wednesday and Thursdays. 

Thank you to those involved

We've had a fantastic response from the local community, neighbouring National Trust sites, staff, and volunteers who have created scarecrows for display here at Rufford. There are so many fantastic characters for you to see, from Bill & Ben from Flower Pot Men to Norah Batty and Compo from Last of the Summer Wine. We'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved for making this event possible. 

History of the Scarecrow in the UK

Scarecrows have been used as a protector of crops for many years. Farmers originally asked children to chase away wildlife that would destroy their crops, and were known as bird scarers or bird shooers. 

When the Great Plague of 1348 wiped half the population in Britain, landowners couldn’t find enough children to employ to protect their crops. It was then that instead they stuffed sacks with straw, carved faces in turnips or gourds, and made scarecrows that stood against poles.