The John Clare Festival 2026 from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th July has something for everyone…
Whether you’re a Clare connoisseur, a nature-lover, or simply live in and around Helpston, we have talks, poetry, a concert, open gardens, artists’ exhibitions, tasty lunches, Morris Dancers, folk music and family activities.
And this year we are celebrating the 45th anniversary of the John Clare Society! Dedicated to increasing knowledge of this wonderful, and increasingly rediscovered, poet.
John Clare Cottage will be open for extended hours – check their website.
The Timetable
Friday 10th
10.30 – 12.15 “Midsummer Cushions” at St Botolph’s Church
2 pm “A walk to see Betsey” – c 5 miles, taking in the history of Helpston, Ashton and Bainton. Starting and ending at the Cottage.
6 pm “Poems, Praise and Prayer with John Clare” at St Botolph’s Church
7 pm Folk night at John Clare Cottage
Saturday 11th
Helpston Local History Group Exhibition “Family” at the Scout Hut
Book sales at the Scout Hut
Open Gardens, Children’s “John Clare Challenge”, Local Artists’ Exhibitions
9.30 am Meet the John Clare Cottage Team over coffee
10.30 am John Clare Society AGM at St Botolph’s
11.30 am President’s Address: introducing “Springtime” by Mike Hobson
12 noon the Beauvale Recorders at the Cottage, Lunches at the Village Hall, Peterborough Morris and Crosskey Clog Morris at the Bluebell Inn
12 noon lunches at the Village Hall
2 pm “Westings Meadow” – family art and natural history fun with Art Pop-Up at the Cottage
2 pm Keynote Speech by Dr David Stewart of Northumbria University – “A Stroll through the Annuals”
3 pm Teas at the Village Hall
4 to 5.30 pm Poetry Reading at St Botolph’s – bring your own poem or prose to read
7 pm Peterborough Choral Society in concert at St Botolph’s: “A Walk with John Clare” £17 – peterboroughchoral.com.
Sunday 12th
10.30 am “The Flitting” – a walk in the footsteps of John Clare and his family, from Helpston’s John Clare Cottage to Northborough
10.45 am “Café Church” at St Botolph’s Church, Helpston
2.30 to 4.30 pm at Northborough Church: “Martha’s Northborough” with Claire Richardson, James Keech on “The Overseers of the Poor Book” £5 for the two talks.
Individual items
John Clare Cottage – will be open extended hours on all three days selling refreshments and light lunches. You can meet the John Clare Cottage team over coffee at 9.30 am on Saturday 11th. And don’t miss the Beauvale Recorders, at 12 noon.
Midsummer Cushions – Year 6 of John Clare School will be getting an early start on the weekend, laying their cushions outside St Botolph’s Church on Tuesday 7th at 10.45 am. The other children will be coming down to the Church to lay their cushions and hear the winning poems from their poetry competition on Friday 10th from 10.30 am. This is a beautiful, longstanding tradition.
“A Walk to See Betsey” – Elizabeth “Betsey” Newbon was one of John Clare’s earlier love interests. After she set him an ultimatum, he walked out and subsequently met and married Martha. Betsey is buried in St Mary’s Church Bainton churchyard, and we will take a round trip from the Cottage taking in some of the Helpston buildings and local villages that John Clare knew. About 5 miles, c 2 hours -meet at the Cottage at 2pm.
“Poems, Praise, and Prayer with John Clare” -an evening service including many of Clare’s Poems and Psalms, either set to music or read. Featuring: Sabbath Bells, The Peasant Poet, Nature’s Hymn to the Deity, The Instinct of Hope, Psalms 102 and 148, Thoughts from a Churchyard, The True Spiritual Worship, May, All Nature has a Feeling, and The Stranger.
“Folk Night at John Clare Cottage” Friday at 7– Come along to listen or to join in!
President’s Address: Saturday at 11.30 after the AGM – John Clare Society president, John Goodridge, Emeritus Professor of English at Nottingham Trent University, will be showcasing a short film by Mike Hobson, “Springtime”
“Westings Meadow” Family Drop-In Workshop, John Clare Cottage, Saturday 2–4pm
Make bunting celebrating our local countryside with Art Pop-Up! Inspired by Westings Meadow’s heritage—from dinosaurs to John Clare—children can stitch, stick and colour flags. Sewing suitable for 7+ years. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
In the Village Hall on Saturday – Tasty Lunches and then refreshing teas
Open Gardens – John Clare was a keen gardener, and we will have at least six Open Gardens in the village on the Saturday of the Festival. And while you’re wandering around seeing these beautiful gardens, you can also drop in at the two open Artists’ Studios.
John Clare Challenge – This year, children are invited to take part in the exciting John Clare Challenge!
Pick up your stamping card from the welcome tent to begin. The card will guide you to a range of locations around Helpston. At each stop, you’ll discover interesting historical facts, and you can collect a stamp on your card.
Once you’ve visited all the locations and gathered every stamp, return to the welcome tent to receive a special bookmark and a sticker!’
The Bluebell Inn boasting all the charm you’d expect from a village inn with oodles of quirky character thrown in and an old-fashioned belief that a pub should have a social heart and be flowing with drinks and great food served by people who care. The Bluebell will be hosting the Morris Dancers: This year we have two sides of Morris Dancers outside the Bluebell Inn. Crosskey Clog and the Peterborough Morris will be performing from noon to 2 pm.
At the Scout Hut – The Helpston Local History Group will be holding an exhibition on the subject “Family” – so important in a village with many longstanding family associations. And the chance to buy first- and second-hand books related to John Clare.
Keynote Speech: Dr David Stewart, Associate Professor of Romantic Literature at Northumbria University, will be leading us on “A Stroll through the Annals”.
Poetry Reading: Bring your own favourite or listen to others. Chaired by Mike Mecham, Chair of the John Clare Society.
Evening Concert: The Peterborough Choral Society will be performing “A Walk with John Clare” – An evening of beautiful music inspired by nature. £17, tickets available from peterboroughchoral.com or on the door.
Northborough: While St Botolph’s Church has a “Café Church” on the Sunday morning at 10.45, there will also be a “Flitting” in the steps of the Clare family to Northborough – meet at the Cottage to start the walk at 10.30. Lunches will be purchasable at the Pack Horse in Northborough. Then from 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm will be a talk on “Martha’s Northborough” by local historian Claire Richardson, and then James Keech will present the “Overseers of the Poor Book”. The two talks will cost £5 for the afternoon.
The John Clare Society 
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