Rewilding Oxfordshire's Local Stories & Songs

Apr 23, 2025

The Oxfordshire countryside has always been a fertile ground for traditional rural stories, folk songs and dance and this spring The Theatre, Chipping Norton, is celebrating this rich heritage by rewilding some of these stories, restaging last year’s sell out ‘As I Was A Walking’, a performance walk around Honeydale Farm. 

‘The concept of a performance walk is that people wander around the fields, meadows, woodland and orchard and come across different kinds of performance, whether that’s music, theatre or craft’, explains Josie Lovick from The Theatre, Chipping Norton.

‘As I Was A Walking’ is the opening line of an old Oxfordshire folk song, called ‘The Two Constant Lovers’ which Joshua Newman and Louis Thurman, two members of The Oakstone Trio, performed last year at FarmED. ‘Lots of traditional folk tunes start with lines like, ‘I was walking out’ or similar, to place the character or the subject of the song as being out rambling,’ explains Louis. ‘We will perform something slightly different in terms of dance and song this year so that repeat visitors can enjoy a fresh experience, but as before we will include Morris dancing and talk a little about its history. Morris dancing is part of a living tradition in this country, which people hold really close to their heart.’

Last year‘s ‘As I Was A Walking’ celebrated The Theatre, Chipping Norton’s 50th anniversary and was linked to a performance of Mike Bartlett’s new play, Barn Dance, a multigenerational depiction of Oxfordshire told through the evolving life of a barn, beginning with the conscription of farmhands to fight in World War II, and ending with the installation of a kitchen with underfloor heating. 

Lark Rise also featured last year. The adaptation of Flora Thompson’s beloved autobiographical novel, set in 19th century Oxfordshire, in which a young girl moves to the local market town to begin an apprenticeship as a postmistress, will be revived for this year's performance walk.

This May, as well as Morris dancing, there will also be readings and performances by poet, archaeologist Romola Parish and works by Michael Morpurgo, including ‘Farm Boy’, the extraordinary sequel to the hugely popular ‘War Horse’. Performance walkers will also encounter Jenny Mahler, singing nature inspired songs and there will be a chance to try out some rural crafts.

Since Victorian times, thousands of traditional ballads and folk tales have been collected from shepherds, milkmaids and ploughboys who originally sang in the fields where they worked.  

‘The performance walk is a way of taking local songs and stories back to the land from which they came and to see them performed by contemporary local artists,’ says Josie Lovick. ‘It’s a chance for people to feel immersed in both the stories and in the countryside that inspired them. We really want to make connections with other local businesses and local artists to retell these stories. The performance walk at FarmED is a new and interesting way of engaging with audiences who are interested in FarmED’s nature friendly farming. It’s so good to have them performed outside, framed by the land as a backdrop, rather than inside a theatre.’

Honeydale Farm practices a regenerative farming system, following modern agroecological practices which at the same time also borrow from the traditional mixed farming system which country people would recognise from bygone times, so it’s the perfect location for these performance walks.

The walks will take just over an hour, with various timed performances throughout the day, followed by refreshments in the FarmED Cafe. People are encouraged to dress for all weathers. It promises to be a unique day out in the countryside, a chance to experience the sights, sounds and stories of rural Oxfordshire, to revel in the past, present and future of the local countryside in a beautiful setting, and discover new places and voices. 

If this sounds like something for you, head to The Theatre's website to book.