TWO winter traditions came together at Chepstow.

Hundreds of people enjoyed the Welsh Mari Lwyd – or Grey Mare and the English Wassail.

The Mari Lwyd traditionally saw men disguised with a horses heads go door-to-door asking for food and drink.

In the English Wassail apple trees are “fed” by hangning toast from their branches in the hope of a good crop.

There were Mari Lwyd ceremonies at Chepstow Castle and Chepstow Museum with Wassails in the Castle Dell, at Elmdale on the English side of the Wye and at the museum.

There were Mari created by the Widders Border Morris, who organised the event, along with others from across South Wales and one from Devon.

The day of festivities began with Morris dancing in the town centre with some 16 sides, including the Wild Oats Morris who are based in Ruspidge.

The focus then moved to the bottom of town starting with a Wassail in the Castle Dell community orchard, which is one of several in Chepstow.

It included a song written and performed by one of the Widders’ youngest members Francesco Geloso.

There was also a Wassail across the river at the home of Audrey Crowley and Jan Karvik.

A procession with an apple tree on a cart was then taken across the river but the meeting had to take place on the riverbank as the bridge is currently closed because of a weakness in the structutre.

As part of the Wassail, some of the record 1,250 litres cider made from local apples in the autumn was drunk.

A ceremonial Wassail Cup, made by Chepstow-based ceramic artist Ned Heywood, and filled with mulled cider, was passed around the crowd.

There were thanks to the Widders Border Morris, Mr Karvik and Simon Fielding from Tutshill and Chepstow Town Council.