HUNDREDS of children paraded through Sherborne as part of the Sherborne Pageant 120th anniversary celebrations.

This year marked 120 years since the first pageant took place in the town, and children from six schools dressed up to tell a particular story from the town’s history as they paraded through Sherborne on June 13.

Known as ‘The Mother of All Pageants’, the Sherborne Pageant has a history stretching back to 1904, when Canon Mayo from Longburton wrote to the Church Council to suggest the town should celebrate the 1,200th anniversary of St Aldhelm founding Sherborne.

12 months later, and the town became a hive of activity as it hosted its first-ever pageant.

A former Sherborne School pupil, Reverend Arthur Field, was credited with making this a reality, as he organised for the event to cover the town’s history – from intense battles with Danish marauders to the foundation of the 12th-century castle.

A key condition of the event was that everyone should be involved – regardless of class, gender and age.

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The pageant drew national attention as it was filmed and shown in London.

The success of this helped put Sherborne on the map as many towns across the country became swept up in ‘pageant fever’, choosing to stage their own.

Now, 120 years later, children across Sherborne celebrated this rich tradition.

Each of the six schools involved in the anniversary celebrations chose to depict a different key event in the town’s history.

This saw students from Sherborne Girls’ School mark the Sherborne witch trial of 1620 to 1659, who impressed audiences with their informative performances.

Children from Sherborne Primary School Picture: SAST

This was followed by Sherborne Primary School children who created train carriages for the parade to mark the arrival of the railway in Sherborne in 1860.

Sherborne Prep School dressed in Victorian costumes as they showcased how the foundation of the Yeatman Hospital came to be in 1874.

They were then followed by pupils from Sherborne Abbey Primary School, who celebrated the last Sherborne Pageant, which took place in 1905.

Students from Sherborne School marked the life of Alan Turing and his time spent at their school. They were joined by students from Leweston School who remembered the Second World War and the bombs that fell on the town.

Their performances included speeches from children as young as seven, through to songs and dances, celebrating Sherborne’s rich history.

Children from Sherborne Primary School Picture: SAST

Rhiannon Brenchley, a teacher at Sherborne Primary School who helped organised the event said: “The children worked phenomenally hard on their historical events and all performed beautifully.

“We are so proud that they have been able to become a part of history themselves!

“Huge thanks must also go to the representatives from each school who collaborated so efficiently and kindly across the community and to the town council for their brilliant support – notably Taff Martin for his fantastic coordination behind the scenes.”

Councillor Jill Warburton, Mayor of Sherborne, said: “In 1905, Sherborne did something extraordinary. The whole town came together to celebrate its past with a spectacular pageant — one of the first of its kind in the country.

“But what made it truly remarkable wasn’t just the costumes, or the crowds, or the grand scale. It was the idea behind it: that everyone could be part of it. It reminds us that this town belongs to all of us. That we each have something to contribute.

“It’s moments like this – when we gather across generations and backgrounds, in joy and community – that remind us why Sherborne is such a special place. Long may the spirit of the 1905 pageant live on!”

A Schools Achieving Success Together spokesperson said: “A special thanks to Rhiannon Brenchely for coordinating all of the local schools to make this such a special event for our town.

“Thanks also go to Sherborne Town Council for their vision and support, the Sherborne Summer Festival team, all the schools who took part, executive headteacher Ian Bartle, and cllr Taff Martin.”