If you’ve never chased a wheel of Gloucester cheese down a 295-foot hill in the English countryside, well then you simply haven’t lived.
The Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling in Brockworth, England, is a local tradition that has become a worldwide phenomenon (unofficially). The concept is about as simple as it gets: A wheel of cheese is launched from the top of Cooper’s Hill and the contestants go scrambling, tumbling and rolling down the near-vertical hill after it. Whoever catches the cheese first, wins it. Though there is a lot of hometown pride at play, the cheese has been won in the past by an American man and a Japanese man, proving it’s not only Brits who can chase cheese.
The tradition’s origins are fuzzy, but it seems clear people have been chasing cheese at least 200 years and possibly as far back as the Romans. The cheese chased is traditionally a dense, crumbly Double Gloucester that can reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. Due to local law enforcement cracking down; however, it has been replaced by a plastic wheel, much to the locals chagrin. In addition, because of the dangerous nature of the event — in 1997, 33 people were sent to the hospital — it was officially closed down in 2010, but the event still takes place in an unofficial capacity. Apparently you simply can’t keep a Brit from chasing his cheese.
The Cheese Rolling typically takes place the last weekend in May when several thousand spectators gather to watch the five downhill races and the one uphill race. If you go, be prepared to see ninjas, superheroes and maybe even Santa barreling down a cliff-like hill in childlike joy after a wheel of cheese.
Why would you not go?
Read This Next
Gordon’s Wine Bar
Food & Drink
Nov 10, 2014All Reads on This Topic
Read Them All
#TrazeeTravel
Insta FeedSlideshow
Apr 23, 20247 Must-See Sites in Curaçao
It’s time to start dreaming of your next trip. Here are seven must-see sites in Curaçao.
Sponsored Content
Experience Ireland’s
Wild Atlantic Way
From the windy tip of Malin Head in County Donegal to the colorful harbor town of Kinsale in County Cork, Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way amazes at every turn. Feel the blast of fresh sea air with a lighthouse walk. Get up close to history, grab a fireside seat at a traditional music session, experience the world-famous Irish hospitality and explore some of Ireland's most exhilarating coastal scenery. It is a place that inspired dreamers and travelers, poets and painters with a landscape filled with stone walls, thatched cottages, deserted beaches and breathtaking views. Charming towns and villages, 1,500 miles of soaring cliffs, incredible landscapes and unique experiences await.
Surveys
Apr 23, 2024Going the Distance: Which Airports Have the Longest Walks?
You’re in between flights and ready to find a coffee and your next gate and settle in. But then you find the signs to your gate and look down the impossibly long corridor and wonder how you managed to have the gate at the opposite end of the airport.
Keep Your Road Trip Smelling Good with Purggo
The last thing you want during a road trip? A stinky car. Luckily, Purggo is here to help —without filling your car with a bunch of nasty chemicals that really only just make you cough and cover up the stench for a short time.
Sponsored Content
Greece: A Life-Changing Experience
Experience the life-changing destination of Greece by exploring its island gems in the Ionian Sea. Scattered off the western coastline of Central Greece, to the south of Peloponnese, the Ionian Islands are an island group comprising large and small islands.
Hotel
Apr 22, 2024Fairfield by Marriott Brand Debuts in Copenhagen
Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn recently debuted in Denmark. The opening marks the European debut of Marriott’s Fairfield by Marriott brand. The design prototype from OCCA Design Studio will be used as the blueprint for future Fairfield by Marriott properties throughout Europe.
ShareThis