MORRIS dancers and musicians have helped revive an old English tradition dating back more than 600 years.

Plough Sunday was first recorded in Durham in 1413, making it the oldest event of its kind in England. The celebrations historically involved the drawing of a plough around the community to mark the start of the agricultural year.

The event gained a riotous, carnival atmosphere as it marked the return to work for agricultural workers, but died out after the 19th century.

The custom has been brought back in recent years in Durham City and this year’s procession took place on Sunday from Market Place to Durham Cathedral.

The Very Reverend Andrew Tremlett, Dean of Durham, invited a group of Morris dancers and their plough into the cathedral, before offering prayers and presenting them with a leather bag containing four commemorative coins, referencing the cathedral’s Plough Sunday gift 605 years ago.

Paul Martin, a Morris dancer and traditional musician from Durham and one of the six ‘plough stots’ who hauled the plough, revived the custom after realising its special link to Durham.

He said: “It is a brilliant way to engage people in a sense of community.”