Maypole in the Strand
The Maypole in the Strand was a landmark maypole on the Strand, London, that was in place during the 17th and early 18th centuries, on the site of the current St Mary le Strand church. History The first maypole was built in the early 16th century outside the church of St Mary le Strand, and is believed to have been around high. As was common at the time, it was a regular custom to cover the maypole with flowers each May and dance around it. It was destroyed in April 1644 by the Puritans during the English Civil War, after the House of Lords and House of Commons banned maypoles, believing them to represent pagan ceremonies that were considered "ungodly". It was replaced by a high structure on 14 April 1661 following the Restoration, and is believed to have been constructed by the local farrier John Clarges whose daughter had married George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle when he was a military general. The new maypole was the most celebrated of its kind in London throughout the late 17th century. It was damaged by wind a few years later, and subsequently restored. The maypole gradually decayed and was replaced in