Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake

Format

From the top of the hill, a 7-9 lb round of Double Gloucester cheese is sent rolling down the hill, which is 200 yd long, and with a slope of around 50 percent (26.6 degrees). Competitors then start racing down the hill after the cheese. The competitors aim to catch the cheese; however, it has around a one-second head start and can reach high speeds, enough to knock over and injure a spectator. The first person over the finish line at the bottom of the hill wins the cheese, even though the cheese is never actually caught. Multiple races are held during the day, with separate events for men and women. Participants in the downhill races must be over the age of 18.

Then there are separate uphill races. Considerably less hazardous, these races are open to minors. In the past (e.g. 2014), the uphill race categories have been "boys 14 and under" and "girls 14 and under". In the most recent races in 2025, the children's uphill categories were "under 11" and "11 and over." The adult's uphill race was mixed.

The number of races held during the event has varied over the years, but there are usually four downhill races (three men's, one women's) and six or seven uphill races (adults and children).

In the 2013 competition, a foam replica replaced the cheese for safety reasons, but a real cheese wheel was restored the following year.

History

The event originally took place each Whit Monday, but was later moved to the Spring Bank Holiday. The first written evidence of cheese rolling is found in a message written to the Gloucester town crier in 1826; even then it was apparent that the event was an old tradition, and it is believed to be at least six hundred years old.

Two possible origins have been proposed for the ceremony. First, it may have evolved from a requirement for maintaining grazing rights on the common. Second, there may be pagan origins for the custom of rolling objects down the hill. It is thought that bundles of burning brushwood were rolled down the hill to represent the birth of the New Year after winter. Connected with this belief is the traditional scattering of buns, biscuits and sweets at the top of the hill by the Master of Ceremonies. This is said to be a fertility rite to encourage the fruits of harvest.

In 1982, a team of students from the University of Bristol filmed the 31 May event using film cameras, with one camera overcranked to produce slow motion.

In 1993, sixteen people were injured, four of them seriously, during the event. In 2009, safety concerns were raised after 15,000 spectators arrived, when there was only space for around 5,000. These concerns led to the organisers cancelling the 2010 event. Despite the cancellation, around 100 people attended and held an unofficial event.

In 2011, a new 2-day ticketed event was proposed in order to address the safety concerns raised in previous years and to allow the event to continue operating. The proposals were received negatively due to the cost of tickets, and the proposed event was cancelled following the organisers receiving abuse. Despite the cancellation, the event continued unofficially with around 200 people attending. The event has continued without official management or planning alongside the Council Safety Advisory Group.

In 2020 and 2021, the event was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned on Sunday 5 June 2022, ending a two-year absence.

Cheese

The cheese currently used in the event is 7–9 lb Double Gloucester, a hard cheese traditionally made in a circular shape. Each is protected for the rolling by a wooden casing round the side, and it is decorated with ribbons at the start of the race. Formerly, three cheeses were presented by parishioners, and the cheeses were usually rolled by them. A collection is usually made now to purchase them, as well as sweets, and also to provide prize money.

Since 1988, the cheese has been supplied by local cheesemaker Diana Smart and her son Rod from their Churcham farm. In May 2013, a police inspector warned the 86-year-old Smart that she could be held responsible for injuries. Chief Superintendent Nigel Avron of Gloucestershire Constabulary also made these comments: "If you are an organiser in some way or some capacity you could potentially be held liable for something that took place at that event". Diana Smart died in 2021.

In 2013, organisers of the event switched to a lightweight foam version of the cheese for safety reasons. In the second race of 2013, Australian Caleb Stalder managed to catch the fake cheese and claim victory despite being some way behind the leaders. In 2014, the organisers returned to using real cheeses.

Injuries

Due to the steepness and uneven surface of Cooper's Hill, there are usually several injuries each year. St John Ambulance have previously provided first aid cover at the event; however, this stopped in 2012 when the event was no longer being officially managed. The lack of official medical provision on site has led to concerns from the local resilience forum about the safety of the event.

Canadian competitor Delaney Irving won the ladies' race in 2023, despite finishing unconscious, and only learning of her victory in the medical enclosure. Six competitors were taken to hospital by ambulance for treatment following the event.

Results

Note: All competitors before 2004 were British so a nationality flag is omitted.

Multiple winners

Similar event

An annual cheese-rolling event took place in Chester from about 2002, to promote the city's food and drink festival. The rolling took place on the flat down an obstacle course. It is not being held any more.

Cheese-rolling in popular culture

• 1948: Cheese Rolling on Cooper's Hill, a painting by Charles March Gere, is part of the Museum of Gloucester collection, and depicts the event.

• Early 1970s: The New Inn pub was renamed 'The Cheese Rollers Bar & Restaurant' in the early 1970s. Located in the neighbouring village of Shurdington, it is named after the event, and has a collection of previous cheese casings along with photos and articles about the event.
• 2005: A children's computer game from Neopets named "Cheeseroller", involves different varieties of outlandish cheeses, rolled down a 120-metre hill in under 60 seconds, negotiating obstacles on route. Points are awarded for grade of cheese difficulty and speed of descent.
• 2006: The comedian Bridget Christie performed a show about cheese-rolling at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; this was inspired by having seen the Cooper's Hill event as a child.
• 2008: Cheese rolling was featured in the first episode of the UK television channel Five series: Rory & Paddy's Great British Adventure, broadcast on 13 August 2008, and was described as "the grandaddy of weird sports" by the titular Rory McGrath and Paddy McGuinness.
• 2018: The contest was the subject of the BBC One programme The Great Cheese Chase. The contest was part of the German reality show Joko gegen Klaas - Das Duell um die Welt, where German former footballer Thorsten Legat was supposed to participate, but at the end refused to do so.
• 2019: Let's Roll is a short film directed by Chris Thomas** about a teenage girl Antonia (Amy Bowden) attempting to emulate her brother's successes in the cheese rolling. The film was screened at BAFTA-qualifying film festivals: Norwich and Edinburgh.
• 2019: Royal Mail issue a collectable stamps edition of UK Weird and Wonderful Customs which includes Bog snorkelling at Llanwrtyd Wells, World Gurning Championship at Egremont, Up Helly Aa in Lerwick, Burning the Clocks in Brighton, 'Obby 'Oss festival in Padstow, Samhain Celtic festival (Halloween) at Derry, Horn Dance at Abbots Bromley and Cheese-Rolling at Cooper's Hill.
• 2020: Netflix released a documentary We are the Champions, which covers six bizarre events and competitions from across the world, starting with Cheese-Rolling at Cooper's Hill. The Cheese-Rolling follows Flo Early in her preparations for 2019 and her attempt to win the ladies' race for the fourth time.
• 2021: The game Animal Crossing: New Horizons has a special item called Double Gloucester cheese that is only available from 22 May to 31 May, the period when this event takes place.
• 2023: The Longest Johns and El Pony Pisador released a joint album "The Longest Pony" which included "Wheels of Glory" as the opening track. This led to the band's, on their February 2025 Longest Pony tour, bringing along a wheel of Double Gloucester.
• 2025: A multiplayer PC game titled Cheese Rolling was released on Steam. Players control ragdoll medieval characters competing to catch a cheese wheel rolling down various steep slopes loosely modeled after Cooper's Hill. it was released on 20th of August, 2025, by developer The Interviewed

Notes

References

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