Dancing horses and pouring rain as crowds gather for 'Wassail' ceremony in Cornwall

A traditional 'Wassail' ceremony took place at a National Trust site in Cornwall on Saturday morning (December 31).

The popular event at Cotehele House near Saltash was postponed earlier this month because of icy conditions.

But dozens of people braved heavy rain and gathered in fancy dress with musical instruments in the orchard.

The ceremony is designed to 'scare away evil spirits' and ensure there is a bumper crop of apples in the new year.

The idea behind a Wassail is to celebrate the apple trees as they enter a new year of growth and make sure they will bring a healthy and tasty crop in the autumn.

Wassail comes from the phrase "waes hael" which means "be well" and is usually done earlier in January as a New Year celebration, and is thought to date back to around 600AD.

According to the National Trust, wassailing took many different forms historically, depending on local tradition.