| Where: | Knaresborough, Yorkshire at Low Bridge on the River Nidd |
| When: | 26th December |
| Time: | 12 noon |
One of the sporting events held every year on Boxing Day is the tug-of-war at Knaresborough, in which the opponents pull their sturdy rope over the River Nidd. The battling teams represent the pubs on each bank , the Half Moon and the Mother Shipton, and it’s a tradition of over 50 years standing with 8-strong teams on each side for men and for ladies and with the best-of-three rule to decide the winning sides. Visitors can participate if there’s space at the rope, or join the crowd to watch the teams battle it out on the riverbank.
Helpful Hints
It only gets cancelled in times of flooding or pestilence, for obvious safety reasons (this doesn’t happen very often!) and it’s always on 26th even when this falls on a Sunday. Times may be a little flexible while the organisers make sure that everything is in place, and the event usually ends by 1.30, with several hundred spectators. The event is a fundraiser for local charities so watch out for a bucket collection. The pubs will both be open so everyone can warm up!
Click here for the Mother Shipton: https://www.facebook.com/mothershiptoninn
and here for the Half Moon: https://www.facebook.com/halfmoonfreedom
Photo by Lutmans.
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