In the Cheshire village of Moulton, a man dressed as a giant crow walks into The Lion pub and asks for a pint. Landlady Dolores Fallon responds without surprise, simply asking: "The usual?"
The tradition of dressing as black crows began in the village in the 1920s, when salt mine workers performed dances at the village show to raise money for those in need. It was revived 20 years ago by a group of local men who now recreate the dance, keeping their identities a closely guarded secret.
Rehearsals and Performances at The Lion
The group, known as the Moulton Crows, meets regularly at The Lion pub - which they affectionately call The Crows' Nest - to rehearse in the back yard. They perform three times a year and can also be called on for special events. Dolores recalls that on her wedding day, the crows flocked out as a surprise to lead her to the local church.
Dolores said: "I got married in the local church, but I lost my dad just before and I thought who is going to walk me down the aisle? On the day, a beak popped through the door and it was the crows - they had decided they were going to walk me to the church and we got a full guard of honour from them."
The Annual Crow Fair
The crows' biggest moment of the year comes at the annual village fete, The Moulton Crow Fair, held each July, drawing a crowd of over 1,500. The crows dance around a scarecrow, also in costume, before the scarecrow and a crow are chased and "shot" by someone dressed as a farmer, after which they continue their ritualistic dance.
The Manchester Evening News met "Crow Man 12" at The Lion pub, which recently earned a place in the Telegraph's list of the top 650 pubs in Great Britain. Crow Man 12 said: "Some kids do at first, but we're trying to get the local kids involved a bit more. I go to the preschool so they get to see us. It's more the scarecrow to be honest - he frightens the life out of people sometimes. It's a unique thing though, no one else, nowhere else does this, it's part of a village tradition we're keeping alive."
History and Revival
The crows' origins date back to 1929, when Moulton, near Northwich, was a salt mining village with rows of salt workers' cottages. Pictures of early dances outside the cottages are displayed around The Lion pub. As the salt mines shut down, villagers sought other ways to make money, and a troupe of dancers began performing at local festivals to win money, giving all proceeds back to the community - an ethos that continues today, with all crows volunteering in their own time.
The tradition died off in the 1970s and 80s, but locals revived it in 2006 with a Lottery grant. They now aim to carry on through to 2029 to celebrate the centenary of the first known dance. The crows have appeared on the BBC's Celebrity Antiques Road Trip and were asked to appear in a music video for local band Deja Vega.
The Lion Pub and Community Spirit
The Lion pub dates back to 1896, and its name is thought to nod to its first landlady, Martha Lyon. Dolores, a third-generation landlady, said: "I'm originally from Rusholme, and my Nan and grandad had the Lord Lion on Claremont Road, while my mum and stepdad ran the Birch Villa on Wilmslow Road so I'm a third generation landlady. Coming here to Moulton, it was like coming back in time with kids playing out on their bikes, people walking to the local shop... It's a real community where everybody knows everybody. You know when you get six degrees of separation? Well it's more like 3 here."
Dolores was delighted with the Telegraph award, following several CAMRA wins for the pub's selection of ales, including locally-brewed Weetwood. The pub is mostly wet-led, though it serves stone-baked pizzas. Dolores said: "Food has been tried here many times, but I think people just like drinking!" The pub hosts regular Thursday quiz nights and a monthly karaoke quiz that books up well in advance.
The identity of the 12 crows remains a secret. Dolores added: "We actually barred someone for filming the crows unmasked outside." The costumes are all made by "ladies in the village," Crow Man 12 said. On the yellow beaks, he explained: "Yes, sometimes people turn around and say to us crows should have black beaks, but from the pictures we have of the original costumes, they were all yellow beaks. Look at Disney's Dumbo - they've all got yellow beaks - so we wonder if it all originally came from that."
Community member Katie Ikin, 28, who runs the local Moulton Adventure Group and has lived in the village since childhood, said: "It might seem wild at first, but things like the Crow Fair, it brings people out. Everyone connected to the village comes down to watch." The Lion pub is at 74 Main Rd, Moulton, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 8PB.
