Kern was formed in Durham in 1986, and we celebrated our 20th birthday in May 2006. 

Kern, the name, comes from the ancient traditional "Kern Babby" or Magical Corn Figure made from the last harvested sheaf of corn. It contains the "spirit" of the corn and is a symbol of fertility and is kept from one harvest to the next. The Kern Babby contains heads of corn grown in Durham, part of the old Kingdom of Northumbria that once stretched from the Scottish border to south of York.

Kern dancers and musicians wear white shirts with a purple sash. The colour 'Palatinate Purple', represents the Bishopric and University of Durham.

Kern Morris is the only mixed Cotswold side in the North East of England and our members come from a wide area.