WOMEN from Nether Stowey and surrounding communities will walk through the village this summer to keep alive a tradition dating to 1806.

It will be the 217th year Stowey Female Friendly Society has held the walk to honour the village’s most famous son, Thomas Poole.

He founded the society in 1806 to help women in times of sickness, childbirth, widowhood, and old age, and also funded and built the village school in Castle Street, now the Thomas Poole Library, café, and community hub.

Thomas Poole was born in 1765 and ran a tannery business providing local employment, using his wealth to improve the lives of the village poor.

Traditionally, women dressed up in their Sunday best and walked each year on the Saturday closest to midsummer to lay a posy of flowers on his grave in the churchyard of St Mary’s Church.

This year’s walk will be on Saturday, June 21, with midsummer’s day on Tuesday, June 24.

Walkers will meet at 3 pm at The Cross, in the middle of the village, for the walk to St Mary’s Church headed by bagpipes.

A short service will be held in the church, and after visiting Thomas Poole’s grave they will walk back to the Church Centre for afternoon tea.

A slight change to the arrangements this year will see the pipers and banner start from the library and walk past Thomas Poole House, which now displays a blue plaque, before being joined by the women walkers.

Spokeswoman Janet Phillips said it meant more aspects of Thomas Poole were included in the occasion and also allowed walkers to see the pipers and the banner walking toward them, rather than only seeing their backs.

The society is still looking for volunteer marshals for the parade and anybody interested in helping should call Ms Phillips on 01278 732266.