Rural community
Those who say our sense of community has gone should take a look at rural England. A strong sense of community still thrives there, and one of the clearest signs of it is through the eccentric traditions, contests, and festivals that villages and towns continue to host. Many of these events are quirky, rooted in local history, and rely on wide community participation.
Examples include cheese rolling at Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire, where every spring, locals and brave visitors hurl themselves down a steep hill chasing a wheel of cheese. It’s chaotic, dangerous, and beloved.
There is worm charming in Willaston in Cheshire, where participants use various techniques, from music to vibrations, to charm worms out of the soil. There are even strict competition rules.
Shrovetide Football at Ashbourne in Derbyshire is a giant medieval-style football match played over two days, with hundreds of players and goals set miles apart.
The World Gurning Championship at Egremont in Cumbria has contestants competing to pull the ugliest face possible, usually through a horse collar. It’s a highlight of the local Crab Fair.
At the Bottle Kicking and Hare Pie Scramble at Hallaton in Leicestershire, a centuries-old event sees teams battle over large “bottles” (barrels) and sharing hare pie with the community.
In the Olney Pancake Race in Buckinghamshire, dating back to the 15th century, locals run a race flipping pancakes in frying pans.
September’s Hat Day in Bridport, Dorset, sees locals compete to parade the most outrageous home-made hats.
These charming festivals not only keep old traditions alive but also strengthen bonds among villagers, drawing in younger generations and curious outsiders.
These eccentric rural traditions aren’t just oddities; they’re actually powerful evidence that a sense of community thrives in rural England. They feature intergenerational participation because many of these festivals involve everyone, children, parents, and grandparents. For example, at Ashbourne’s Shrovetide Football, whole families take part, either playing, spectating, or helping with preparations. Traditions are passed down through generations, ensuring continuity.
These events are rarely run by professional bodies. Instead, villagers volunteer their time, skills, and resources. In Willaston’s Worm Charming, locals set up pitches, judge events, and welcome visitors, all reinforcing community bonds.
The eccentricity itself becomes a source of pride. Villagers see their traditions as unique and worth preserving, which strengthens identity and belonging. Each event is tied to its location, Cooper’s Hill cheese rolling couldn’t happen anywhere else, nor could Hallaton’s bottle kicking. That rootedness gives villagers a sense of ownership and reinforces the bond between people and place.
Even those who don’t compete, say, older residents or the less adventurous, participate as spectators, stewards, or providers of food and drink. Everyone has a role. For example, at the Olney Pancake Race, the whole town turns out to cheer and celebrate.
While outsiders are welcome because tourists often flock to these events, the heart of the tradition is local. Visitors may come and go, but it’s the villagers who preserve the custom year after year. This reinforces solidarity and a sense of ‘we’re the guardians of something special.’
In short, these eccentric contests show that rural communities in England are far from dying out. Instead, they thrive through shared traditions, volunteerism, pride in place, and intergenerational involvement, with eccentricity acting as the glue that makes it all memorable.
Madsen Pirie