Grindon Hedgehog Rolling

Where:	Grindon, Staffordshire on the Village Green
When:	Second Sunday in July
Time:	From 1pm until 4pm approx.

No hedgehogs are harmed in this event! The “hedgehogs” are actually decorated giant fir cones painted to look the part, and competitors known as rollers must brush their hogs along the course using traditional besoms. Local legend suggests that the origins of the festival lie far back in the mists of time with real animals kept for their pest control abilities but if you believe that….! On registration, the rollers choose a named hog from the selection on offer on the understanding that it must be returned following the competition. There are also stalls, refreshments and entertainments like Morris Dancing in the free village festival, and sometimes a tug-of-war. It’s in aid of local charities and the Village Hall and when we went the dancers were Leek Morris (in the past it was usually Black Dog Molly). The stalls included a barbecue and cakes, and there were flowers on sale and a tombola etc. The bakery tent had appropriately themed cakes, and there was a stall from the local hedgehog rescue charity.

Helpful Hints

In 2024 it should be on Sunday July 14th (to be confirmed). Parking is signposted from the centre of the village.

Click here for Leek Morris: https://leekmorris.my-free.website

Thanks to Ross Parish for drawing my attention to this one!