Thaxted Morris Men were founded in 1911 at the initiative of Conrad Noel, Vicar of Thaxted, as part of the revival of interest in Morris dancing, begun by Cecil Sharp and others and are the oldest revival side in the country

The 1920s saw meetings being organised between some of the early 'revival' clubs. Thaxted were hosts in 1927, and, except for the war years, have hosted a meeting every year since: the only club to do so.

The Morris Ring was inaugurated by six founder clubs in Thaxted in 1934, as a direct result of a meeting held in Cambridge the previous year. Its main function is to act as a guardian of the Morris tradition. All the clubs that seek membership of the Ring must be 'up to the required standards'. There are now about 200 member clubs, and each year four or five of these act as hosts to the Morris Ring, and thus give the opportunity to show the traditional dances to audiences from most parts of England.