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Home > Alternative Sport > Robert Dover’s Cotswold Olimpick Games

Robert Dover’s Cotswold Olimpick Games

By Caroline King - May 27, 2012Posted in : Alternative Sport, Fair, Heritage, Music

When: 1st June 2012 from 2pm

Where: Dover’s Hill near Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire

£: Adults 6, children 3 (aged 5 to 14), under 5’s go free and don’t require a wristband. Wristbands can be bought on the day.

What is it?

This year Robert Dover’s Cotswold Olimpicks celebrates its 400th anniversary with the usual crazy sports including shin-kicking, the 5 mile Olimpick Run and Tug of War, plus a whole load of other entertainment and activities throughout the day.

The event has been taking place in the same location since 1612 and claims to be the oldest ‘modern’ sporting meeting in the world.  This year features a Jacobean Village with games for children, Jacobean music and costumes. This year there will also be an Olimpick Stage with folk singers Beth Thornton and Bethany Weimers amongst others.

From 7.30pm the famous sporting events including Shin Kicking, Champion of the Hill and Tug of War take place in the lower arena.  Shin Kicking is where contestants hold each other by the shoulder and try to kick shins and bring opponents to the ground.  Challengers use straw to protect their shins.  In the upper arenas will be marching bands, morris dancers, backswords demonstrations, performing dogs, a fairground and various entertainers.

The Games climax with the traditional fireworks and a torchlit descent into Chipping Campden at 10pm.  This year there will also be the specially commissioned Jubilee beacon.

Check out the video below of last year’s event for a taste of the day’s quirky activities.

More info: www.olimpickgames.co.uk

Tagged With: Cotswold events, Firework display, Gloucestershire events, Robert Dover's Olimpick Games, Shin Kicking, South West

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