A pole marquee or pole tent is a variety of large

tent A tent () is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over, attached to a frame of poles or a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using gu ...

often used to shelter summer events such as shows, festivals, and weddings. They are particularly associated with typical

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

country garden weddings and village fetes. The simple design has changed little in thousands of years. A pole marquee consists of a roof canopy supported by tall central poles ("king poles") tensioned using side lines connected to ground pins (or stakes) and smaller supporting poles ("side poles"). The king poles support the bulk of the weight, while the side poles give the fabric shape. Originally, they were manufactured from cotton canvas covers, wooden poles, and

hessian A Hessian is an inhabitant of the German state of Hesse. Hessian may also refer to: Named from the toponym *Hessian (soldier), eighteenth-century German regiments in service with the British Empire **Hessian (boot), a style of boot **Hessian f ...

rope but they have been largely replaced with more modern materials. In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, hire companies offer "American-style" pole tents with PVC covers, aluminium poles, and nylon ropes. The introduction of modern fabrics extends the shelf life of the marquees, as they are far more easily cleaned. Canvas marquees are still available and in recent years have been having a resurgence as natural materials are appreciated again. One of the benefits of canvas is that it is more breathable compared to PVC (which traps the air and raises the temperature inside it); such a marquee is more comfortable in hot summer weather while remaining

watertight Waterproofing is the process of making an object or structure waterproof or water-resistant so that it remains relatively unaffected by water or resisting the ingress of water under specified conditions. Such items may be used in wet environme ...

in the event of rain.

References

Performance Textiles Association - A Useful Guide to Marquees

External links

{{Tents Portable buildings and shelters