VISITORS to open days at an ancient church heritage got an intriguing insight into rituals surrounding the much-loved Saddleworth Morrismen.

But they may not have realised the symbolic conical-shaped Rushcart tower - the focus of their annual festival - is reported to have mystical powers.

Peter Ashworth, who founded Saddleworth Morrismen more than 40 years ago, explained: “Tradition says if a woman touches the cart she will get pregnant within 12 months. And this has actually happened ...”

The famous Morrismen banners which decorate the Rushcart were among the artefacts that drew scores visitors from across the region to the heritage weekend at Saddleworth Parish Church, Uppermill.

Mr Ashworth said the history of the banners — or the traditional word frontispiece — goes back hundreds of years.

He said: “Our tradition says the ‘jockey’, the man who sits on top of the tower, makes the banner but must create the design with a Saddleworth rose the crown to represent the Royal family and the year — but keeps the cart name a secret until the festival.

“The banners were usually named after the winner of the local trial dog races or someone who would lay a trail using a dead fox for the locally-owned hounds to follow.

“We still keep the tradition of displaying silverware on the banners too with most of the silver donated by visiting morris sides.”

Richard Hankinson, squire of Saddleworth Morrismen for 25 years, elaborated on the Rushcart banners.

“They are Rushcart covers and are stored out of sight at Saddleworth Museum, rolled up around cardboard tubes until a few years ago when we were able to put them on show in St Chad Church.

“Rolling them up was not a good idea and a programme of repair and conservation started.

"Items which had curled up and fallen off were replaced and, where possible, original details were reattached. We now store the covers flat, separated by sheets of acid free tissue.

“Looking at the covers hanging in the church, each has a story. In most cases, the cover itself tells of an anniversary or an event.

“We have celebrated Royal weddings, the birth of princes, remembered the start of WWI, the centenary of the Armistice and thr hundred years anniversary of the sinking of Titanic.

“2001 remembers Saddleworth Morris visit to Brazil but in all cases it holds memories of the actual Rushcart and looking at the detail will tell whether the weekend was rainy as, in many cases, the colours have run.”

Hidden areas of St Chad were open to curious visitors and included tours of the ringing room in the bell tower with the tower master.

There was an opportunity to study the chandelier dating from 1717, George Shaw's 19th Century Woodwork and an exhibition on local poet Ammon Wrigley with details of the Saddleworth Peterloo Connection.

And archivists were on hand to help research on deaths, marriages and baptisms, and the church organist and choir master, Dr Eileen Bentley, played during the weekend.