Shaftesbury Gold Hill Cheese Race

Where:	Shaftesbury, Dorset on Gold Hill
When:	Sunday in early May
Time:	From 1pm with Final at 3pm (approx)

The Gold Hill Cheese Race takes place as part of the annual Food and Drink Feastival, and it is a series of races and relays in which the competitors race UP the steep cobbled hill (rather than down like the famous Cheese Rolling in Gloucestershire). They carry 14-inch diameter locally made cheeses, and the event is a tribute to the hundreds of years that cheese has been produced in Blackmore Vale; first of all the competitors carry their bulky truckles down the hill, then they charge back up the gruelling course to the summit- the winner naturally receives a cheese, as well as a crown, and there are classes for teams as well as individuals. There are heats for different age groups as well as open Ladies’ and Men’s, and relay races at the end for teams. In addition to the race and ceremony, there are plenty of other attractions at the festival including live music, theatre and dance and of course lots of opportunities to sample the local produce and delicacies at the markets. In some recent years (but not all) the Shaftesbury Byzant Ceremony also took place to coincide with the Festival (see separate article) though it’s organised separately by the local Council.