This might be the strangest festival in the world
This would have to be a solid contender for strangest festival in the world. Twenty people run down a steep muddy hill, chasing after a rolling wheel of cheese. Welcome to the wacky world of the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling Festival.
The origins of cheese rolling are murky and some people suggest it could date back all the way to the Romans, who used to have a fort in the region. The festival itself dates back to the 1800s and used to include all sorts of entertaining contests, like bobbing for apples, wrestling, tug of war and (our favourite) shin kicking. During the rationing of the Second World War, a wooden wheel of cheese was even used.
The modern festival draws a sizeable crowd of around 5,000 people each year, who line up along the course and shout encouragement. The premise is deceptively simple – a three-kilo wheel of double Gloucester cheese is rolled down Cooper’s Hill and the racers must chase it. The one who reaches the bottom first, wins. The difficulty comes from the hill itself. Cooper’s Hill is almost vertical and covered in slippery grass and mud. ‘Running’ down it really means falling or tumbling down it and injuries are common. In fact, in 1997 33 people were hurt and the police cancelled the next years event. It’s not always just the runners who are hurt either – spectators have been known to be part of a collision.
Despite all the dangers, the race draws plenty of competitors, many of whom attend year after year. There are five races, four for men and one for women, with participants limited to about 20 to minimise the chaos. The winner gets to keep the cheese, while the second and third places runner receive a small cash prize.
Cooper’s Hill is in Gloucestershire, around 10 kilometres from the town of Gloucester. It’s known as the cathedral city of the Cotswolds and has a rich history dating back some 2,000 years to Roman times. It has a well preserved Victorian dock as well as lots of charming buildings, cafes and shops. It’s surrounded by the lush green Cotswod Hills, a designated area of outstanding beauty that are home to the best rambling in the country.
Have you ever been to the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling Festival?
Hero image credit: Twitter / Tayntons Solicitors