The unique custom is a longstanding tradition, which dates back hundreds of years. The act is thought to be a punishment in response to the pardoning of huntsmen who killed a local man for trying to protect a wild boar. Folklore states that the huntsman’s decedents must plant the hedge on the day of his death each year.
Today this historic ceremony is a simple affair which is continued to mark Whitby’s cultural roots. Two men build the hedge on the east bank of the River Esk before sounding a horn and shouting the words ‘Out on Ye’ to mark its completion.
If you plan on catching this unusual event during your stay at Whitby Holiday Park head to the railings on Church Street at 8.40am. The Whitby Penny Hedge Ceremony is set to take place on 28th May this year.