Robert Dover’s Cotswold Olimpick Games
Robert Dover’s Cotswold Olimpick Games is one of the most eccentric and historic events in the UK, held each year on Dover’s Hill near Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds. With a heritage dating back over 400 years, this quirky celebration blends traditional sports, local customs, and community spirit in one unforgettable day.
First staged in 1612, the games were created by lawyer Robert Dover to bring people together in joyful festivity. Today, the event still honours that spirit, with peculiar competitions such as shin-kicking, tug of war, wheelbarrow races, and other rustic games that bring smiles, laughs, and the occasional bruised shin.
Spectators gather on the hillside to enjoy the games, food stalls, live music, and festivities, culminating in a torchlit procession back to Chipping Campden followed by a fireworks finale. The blend of Elizabethan costume, Cotswold scenery, and pure rural madness makes it a must-see for visitors and locals alike.
Perfect for families, history lovers, and anyone with a taste for the unusual, the Cotswold Olimpick Games offers a unique window into Gloucestershire’s heritage. It remains one of the most iconic traditional events in the region.
This year's Robert Dover’s Cotswold Olimpick Games event details can be found here
Please note that if the link does not work then it means that the Robert Dover’s Cotswold Olimpick Games is over for this year.
