MORRIS men will today dance on the spot St George is said to have slain the dragon, in the hope the Oxfordshire landmark could become the centre of annual celebrations.

According to centuries-old folklore, England’s patron saint slew his nemesis on Dragon Hill, a peculiar mound nestling beneath White Horse Hill near Uffington.

But despite the legend, the spot has never been the scene of celebrations on St George’s Day.

At midday today, Icknield Way Morris Men will dance at the scene of combat for the first time, and hope to start a yearly tradition.

The Wantage-based troupe’s bagman, Ray Springthorpe, said: “We usually dance in the evening on St George’s Day, but as this year it coincided with a Saturday and the Easter weekend, we thought we would do something slightly different and dance where the dragon was slain.

“The members of the side love all the tradition around the site and the day.

“People should know more about these things and the stories behind the places in Oxfordshire.”

He added: “I have no idea who will turn up to see us.

“We’ve put a few signs up for dog-walkers, but we will be dancing to entertain ourselves as much as entertaining the public.

“It is about celebrating St George’s Day, and drinking to his good health and longevity.

“It seems a lot of people have forgotten about England’s patron saint’s day, but I think this could be the start of annual celebrations up there.”

A 1757 manuscript in the British Museum describes how Bishop Pocock heard that St George had fought on Dragon Hill on a visit to Uffington and that the White Horse carving commemorates the event.

According to other traditions, St George’s fight to the death occurred in Libya, various villages in Germany or Wormingford in Essex.

The curator of the Tom Brown’s School Museum in Uffington, Sharon Smith, said: “As far as we know, this is the first time there has been anything on Dragon Hill to mark St George’s Day.

“It has always been a legend in the village that this is where St George slayed the dragon.

“I imagine it dates from when the Christians were trying to take over the pagan symbols and explain why they were there.”

The Icknield Way Morris Men will dance at Dragon Hill at midday, before heading into the village of Uffington for a performance at the Fox and Hounds pub at 1pm.

DRAGON HILL

THE mysterious Dragon Hill lies immediately below the White Horse of Uffington in the hollow known as The Manger.

Despite its odd appearance, it is a natural rather than a man-made phenomenon, formed by the melting of a glacier in the last Ice Age, although it may have been flattened off.

On top of the mound is a bare, white patch of chalk where grass does not grow – apparently poisoned by the dying dragon’s blood after the dual with St George.

The myth also says the nearby White Horse is the mount ridden by St George to slay his foe. Soil tests have found unusually high levels of potash on the hill, possibly caused by Bronze Age ceremonial fires or sacrifices carried out there.