Midsummer’s Eve will be marked with a bonfire at Bolitho Farm, near Liskeard.

The origins of such a celebration are ‘lost within the realms of time’, says the town’s Old Cornwall Society, which has been re-enacting the ancient ceremony since 1929.

Centuries ago, the midsummer’s bonfire reflected a desire to prolong summer to ensure a bountiful harvest, say members. There would have been dancing and feasting, and suspected witches or evil-doers may have been put on trial, they say. I

n the 1920s, the Liskeard Old Cornwall Society reports 1,000 residents from the town ‘venturing out to St Cleer Downs in charabancs’ for the midsummer bonfire.

In the 1930s, a furry dance was performed and there was an ‘abundance of tea, pasties and saffron cake’.

The 2017 celebrations are set to take place at 6.30pm on Friday, June 23.