Editing Appleton Thorn

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2025}}
{{infobox UK place
|country =                 England
|coordinates = {{coord|53.3508|-2.5441|display=inline,title}}
|map_type=Cheshire
|official_name=             Appleton Thorn
|static_image_name=        St Cross Church 1139338.jpg
|static_image_caption=     St. Cross Church, Appleton Thorn
| population = 10,477
| population_ref = (2001)
|civil_parish=[[Appleton, Warrington|Appleton]]
|unitary_england= [[Borough of Warrington|Warrington]]
|lieutenancy_england= [[Cheshire]]
|region=                  North West England
|constituency_westminster=      [[Warrington South (UK Parliament constituency)|Warrington South]]
|post_town=        WARRINGTON
|postcode_district =       WA4
|postcode_area=            WA
|dial_code=      01925
|os_grid_reference=     SJ640839
}}

'''Appleton Thorn''' is a village in the [[borough of Warrington]] in Cheshire, England.

Appleton appeared in the [[Domesday Book|Domesday survey]] as ''Epeltune'',{{sfnp|Cheshire Federation of Women's Institutes|2001|p=8|ps=}} meaning "the tun where the apples grew".

==Bawming the Thorn==
Each June, the village hosts the ceremony of "Bawming the Thorn". The current form of the ceremony dates from the 19th century, when it was part of the village's "[[walking day]]".{{r|InfoBritain}} It involved children from Appleton Thorn Primary School walking through the village and holding sports and games at the school. This now takes place at the village hall. The ceremony stopped in the 1930s, but was revived by the then [[headmaster]], Bob Jones, in 1973.<ref>According to the plaque next to the tree.</ref> "Bawming the Thorn" occurs on the Saturday nearest to Midsummer's Day.
[[File:Appleton Thorn (Bawming the Thorn) - geograph.org.uk - 60497.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Bawming the Thorn]] Local schoolchildren dance around the tree in the style of a [[maypole]] chanting verses to the tune of ''[[Bonnie Dundee]]'', with the following repeated chorus:{{sfnp|Cheshire Federation of Women's Institutes|2001|p=8|ps=}}{{blockquote|Up with fresh garlands this midsummer morn,<br />Up with red ribbons on Appleton Thorn.<br /> Come lasses and lads to the Thorn Tree today<br />To bawm it and shout as ye bawm it "Hurray"!{{sfnp|Cheshire Federation of Women's Institutes|2001|p=8|ps=}}}}
''Bawming'' means "decorating"&nbsp;– during the ceremony the thorn tree is decorated  with ribbons and garlands. According to legend, the hawthorn at Appleton Thorn grew from a cutting of the Holy Thorn at [[Glastonbury]], which was itself said to have sprung from the staff of [[Joseph of Arimathea]], the man who arranged for Jesus's burial after the crucifixion.{{r|InfoBritain}}

==Encompasses==
[[Thorn Cross (HM Prison)]] is in Appleton Thorn, on the site formerly occupied by Royal Naval Air Station [[RNAS Stretton (HMS Blackcap)|HMS ''Blackcap'']], a wartime aircrew training and aircraft repair airfield. There are a number of graves of aircrew who died at HMS ''Blackcap'', mainly in flying accidents, in [[St Cross Church, Appleton Thorn|St Cross]] churchyard, known locally as "the war graves".

==Administration==
Appleton Thorn falls under the borough of Warrington ward of [[Grappenhall and Thelwall]], and the UK [[House of Commons]] constituency of [[Warrington South]], whose MP since 2019 is [[Andy Carter (politician)|Andy Carter]] of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]].


==[[George Harrison]]==
[[The Beatles]] song '[[While My Guitar Gently Weeps]]' - complete with a solo by [[Eric Clapton]] - was written by George Harrison in Appleton Thorn.

At the time he was staying at his parents' home, Sevenoaks, a bungalow on Old Pewterspear Lane. He had bought the property in the mid-Sixties for mum and dad Harry and Louise as an escape from eager fans who had turned their Liverpool home into a shrine.<ref>{{cite web |title=George Harrison composed famous song in Appleton |url=https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/3872735.george-harrison-composed-famous-song-in-appleton/ |website=Warrington Guardian|date=24 November 2008 }}</ref>

==See also==
{{stack|{{Portal|Cheshire}}}}
*[[Listed buildings in Appleton, Cheshire]]

==References==
{{commons category|Appleton Thorn}}

'''Notes'''
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="InfoBritain">
{{cite web |title=Origins of Bawming the Thorn |url=http://www.information-britain.co.uk/customdetail.php?id=19 |publisher=Information Britain |accessdate=9 July 2010|postscript=none}}
</ref>
}}

'''Bibliography'''
{{refbegin}}
*{{citation |author=Cheshire Federation of Women's Institutes |title=Cheshire Villages |year=2001 |publisher=Countryside Books |isbn=1-85306-688-5}}
{{refend}}

{{Cheshire, Borough of Warrington}}
{{Cheshire}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Warrington]]
[[Category:Villages in Cheshire]]