Thousands of spectators and brave competitors will descend on Cooper's Hill on Monday 27 May 2024, when Gloucestershire's wonderfully wacky Cheese Rolling event takes place.
Attracting people from all over the world who are determined to keep the world-famous tradition alive, Cooper's Hill has played host to the Cheese Rolling extravaganza since the 1800s — with the event traditionally falling on spring bank holiday Monday at the end of May.
The slope on Cooper’s Hill near Gloucester is so steep that very few contestants manage to stay on their feet and end up tumbling head-over-heels down the hill in a desperate effort to catch the coveted dairy prize — a weighty nine-pound Double Gloucester.
While the cheese can never actually be caught — with a brief head start, it soon reaches breakneck speeds — the Cheese Rolling winner is the first person to cross the line at the bottom of the hill.
Some contenders sadly don’t make it all the way down though, with the highest injury toll in recent years occurring in 1997, when 33 competitors were treated for everything from splinters to broken bones!
Courageous competitors hoping to chase the cheese this year can head to the top of Cooper’s Hill in Brockworth on Monday 27 May 2024 from 12pm to take part in the event — with downhill races for men and women and one uphill race for children on the day.
From world-famous antics such as the Cheese Rolling to more quietly quirky county traditions, see 11 of the craziest events in Gloucestershire.
