In Britain we have many customs and traditions some more unusual than others. Today I would like to introduce you to an unusual custom. Cheese rolling.
This unusual custom takes place during Spring Bank Holiday often on the Monday. A large round cheese is rolled down a hill and competitors have to try and catch it. The competitors also start at the top of the hill. This can be great fun to watch but hazardous to take part in as competitors often suffer broken arms and legs!
Famous cheese rolling events include those at:
Coopers Hill, Brockworth, Glocestershire.
Ranwick in the Cotswolds
Ide Hill, Sevenoaks, Kent.
Here you can view some photos of the event at Coopers Hill.
Cheese rolling probably came about through different folklore including the right to access land to graze sheep, however the event at Ranwick has to do with fertility, here three cheeses are rolled around the church. One cheese is cut up and shared among the villages thus according to folklore ensuring the fertility of the villagers.
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