| Where: | Formerly Longshaw Estate near Sheffield at Barbrook Cottage, Owler Bar |
| When: | Formerly a Saturday in mid October |
| Time: | Formerly Festival 3 pm, Bolving from 5 pm |
The art of bolving involves humans imitating the sounds emitted by red deer stags during the rut, with the aim of eliciting a verbal response from nearby stags. Rutting season takes place during the autumn when the stags are trying to attract mates. At the Eastern Moors Partnership of the RSPB and National Trust, a competition was staged annually for over 5 years, with entries judged on authenticity, volume and responses. The judges sat in front of the competitors with their backs to them for impartiality, and their decision was final. All ages could compete, and the contest took place a short walk from Barbrook Cottage on the Longshaw Estate, with an autumn festival beforehand which offered a range of craft activities, entertainments and refreshments in the afternoon. It was a family friendly event with lots of fun and laughter.
Helpful Hints
In 2019 it was on Saturday October 12th -it hasn’t been held yet post-Covid but the event will hopefully return at some point in the future though currently it has lapsed.
A similar competition, which lapsed several years ago, used to take place on Exmoor. Let me know if you hear of a revival, please!
In 2019 entry to the competition cost £5. Tickets were available through the event website in advance (link below). All competitors receive a certificate on the day.
Wrap up well and wear wellies or walking boots as the paths can be muddy. By the time the prizes are given out (around 7 pm) it will be dark and a torch is useful.
Parking was very limited at the event (blue badge holders only, and must be arranged in advance with the organisers) but a free shuttle bus ran at stated intervals from the main Longshaw Woodcroft car park, which worked very well (the carpark is free to National Trust members). The event website also shows parking available in nearby lay-bys accessible by footpath to the cottage.
The autumn festival was accessible to all, but the walk to the Bolving area was unsuitable for wheelchairs and anyone with even moderate mobility issues.
Click here for the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EasternMoors
Click here for the event website (select What’s On under Plan Your Visit tab): https://www.visit-eastern-moors.org.uk
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