Gorton Town, now an inner city area of Manchester, was once a village about a 1 hour coach ride from the city centre.

These pages tell of the history of the Gorton Morris men and the revival of the side of dancers from 1974 to 2000
Some early history
For more information Email Ian O'Toole

The Gorton Rushbearing ceremory was resurrected by the Gorton Morris men in 1980. Perusal of the historical records reveals that the last Rushbearing before 1980 took place in 1874 (exactly 100 years before the present side was revived).
To the modern day observer, the Rushcart presents a strange sight; thirteen feet high and pulled by a shire horse, but in the eighteenth and ninteenth century was a commonplace annual feature of most North Western towns "wake" or holiday week.
Rushbearing itself grew out of the practice of laying rushes on the church floors of the day in order to reduce the discomfort suffered by the poorly shod worshiprers standing on the cold stone and clay floors of the period.

The Rushbearing consisted of a procession through the town, during which, the cart piled high with rushes, which had been cut the previous week, would be pulled through the town accompanied by the Town Band and the Morris Men, to its ultimate destination the Church, where the rushes were strewn on the floor.
The Rusrcart still goes to the parish church (St. James) but the rushes are no longer strewn on the floor as in former times but token bundles are presented to St. James and St. Georges churches, symbolising the original purpose of the Rushcart.
The event has grown in stature over the years and has seen as many as 24 different Morris sides participate in the event.