*  The tradition of dancing around a maypole goes back to 16th century Germany, when setting up the maypole and celebrating Midsummer was a whole community activity.

The tradition has its origin in Germanic paganism, but spread through many parts of Europe. Because of its pagan roots, the maypole met with some hostility in England in the 16th century, particularly when celebrations degenerated into little more than drunken festivities. The idea of mixed-gender dancing and merry-making, particularly on a Sunday, caused many to denounce maypole-dancing, especially during the Reformation of Edward VI when a preacher denounced the Cornhill maypole as an idol, resulting in it being taken out of storage, sawn into pieces and burned.

Whilst the English governments did not actively support the banning of maypoles, increasing pressure from the Protestant movement resulted in their being banned from Banbury, Bristol, Canterbury, Coventry, Doncaster, Leicester, Lincoln, and Shrewsbury between 1570 and 1630. Finally, on 6 April 1644, the British Parliament ordered that all maypoles throughout the country by removed. Long Parliament's ordinance of 1644 described maypoles as "a Heathenish vanity, generally abused to superstition and wickedness".

However, there is no evidence that all communities followed the ordinance as, following the Restoration in 1660, there were a large number of maypoles returned to service throughout the country, very quickly.