Essentials:
- Getting there: From Brockworth, off the A46 south of Gloucester, follow the crowds through the lanes to Cooper's Hill
- When: People gather from 9:30 a.m., Monday, Spring Bank Holiday. The races start at mid-day.
- Visit the website
What's it About: The annual Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling and Wake has been taking place every May on the same hill for hundreds of years. No one knows why or how this wacky event got started but it was well established in the early 1800s. During the Cheese-Rolling, fit, mostly young men and women throw themselves down a very steep hill in pursuit of a rolling cheese. The winner takes the cheese -- along with a lot of bumps, scratches and bruises.
Who's in the race: Anyone over 18 years can enter - at the discretion of the M.C. Mostly local people compete but winners have come from as far afield as New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. One year a contingent of Sumo wrestlers slid down the hill. It is also possible to volunteer to prepare the hill for the races during the two weekends before the event. Volunteer numbers are limited and volunteers are chosen for their skills and abilities.
