Today, is the Day to go Cheese Rolling in the Cotswold! Coopers Hill Cheese Rolling takes place near Birdlip in Gloucestershire. For at least the last 200 years, people have gone to the top of the Hill, sent a Double Gloucester Cheese rolling down the hill at up to 70 miles an hour. Then chased after it despite the steep slope. Its mayhem. Watch the video above.
The cheeses are specially made, and encased in a wooden frame so they can survive the plummet down hill. The cheese is let go and the runners chase after it. They do not have to get to the bottom before the cheese but before anyone else. It is mayhem as the slope is so steep that most people fall down, Some roll head over heels countless times. There are many injuries too. There are various group races, men, women, boys, girls etc.
The race was originally on Whitsun Monday and part of country games (the wake) such as:
Grinning for the cake
Jumping in the bag
Chattering for a bladder of snuff by old women.
But it was cancelled as it became too rowdy, but the cheese rolling survived. It may be a ‘ceremony of record’ in which locals hold an event to maintain ancient rights of public access. (like beating the bounds).
Uffington Cheese Rolling
Uffington, famous for its white horse, had its cheese rolling.
For more information on Cooper’s Hill cheese rolling, see this web site:
https://www.cotswoldshideaways.co.uk/whats-on/event/coopers-hill-cheese-rolling-26th-may-2025
For more of my posts on the frolics of May see here:
First Published on May 26th 2025, revised with help from ‘The Customs and Ceremonies of Britain’ by Charles Kightly 2026
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