Cheese Race Up Gold Hill Shaftesbury

One of the UK’s steepest streets has a whacky annual ritual race up it!

And to make it even more of an event the competitors have to carry a 23kilo cheese too.

The Gold Hill cheese race event held around May Bank Holiday at Shaftesbury in Dorset has competitors from all over the country taking part.

With the overall winner this year completing the challenge in just over 16 seconds.

The hill was made extremely famous after it appeared in a TV Hovis bread advert filmed in the 1970’s by then a not so well known film director called Ridley Scott.

Shaftesbury Cheese Race Gold Hill

Pushing a bakers bike laden with loaves up the hill the nostalgia and soft focus went down well with the public and has remained in the psyche ever since for a certain age group.

Nostalgia aside, the race carrying a 50 pound weighted Dorset cheese wheel up a 16 degree slope is not for the fainthearted.

It may not be the steepest street in the UK. However, the cobbled road way is a challenge in itself.

Luckily this year it was dry. But in wet weather the race takes on another challenge as staying upright at speed is a another consideration.

In all over 200 decided to take part. There are race classes for men, women senior citizens, children and their loads do vary.

The event is held in conjunction with the Shaftesbury Food Festival around the hilltop but level streets. Colourfully  lined with dozens of purveyors of all things food, drink  and catering related.

Visitors can take in the hospitality of this once Saxon town that ruled England under King Alfred.

It was also of unique religious significance, as the Benedictine Nunnery was a principle one in England for many centuries.

King Alfred At Shaftesbury

In AD 888, King Alfred the Great founded the first major abbey just for women.

He installed his daughter as the first Abbess. And for over six centuries the community grew and flourished. During Henry VIII time it had become the wealthiest and most important nunnery in England.

The ruins are open and well worth a visit.  Luckily also at the top of the hill almost next to Gold Hill.

A set of special cheeses are made up for the event. Alas not with cheese as the ‘wheels’ are made with weighted non-food contents that represents a genuine one in size and shape.

Preventing them from becoming sticky and slippery as they have in the past made with real cheese. Therefore, makes it fair for all the competitors.

After a briefing at the finish line the racers walk down the hill to the starting point and the cheering starts as the crowd chants cheese, cheese, cheese!

Then looking up the slope the runners set off and then they find out if it was a good idea to take on the challenge?

That 50lb weight and almost having to caress it safely as you prepare to start. Certainly not something that any have ever tested or experienced for ever in the past I suspect?

Racing Up Gold Hill Shaftesbury

The finish comes into view jostling and trying to keep traction, as your feet battle against the unevenness of the steep cobbled slope.

Relief comes as you close in on the line and the hay bales provide a soft sudden stop to the pain as you crash over the line.

Happily dropping the weighted cheese wheel safely after draining your energy in that uphill crazy daft dash.

Also, a welcome relief as the runners congratulate each other and they can of course congratulate themselves too. Having taken part in yet another of the UK’s weird and wonderful countryside sports.

More Whacky Contests In Dorset 

Not short of other wacky challenges the county of Dorset also offers a ‘Stinging Nettle’ eating challenge.

Yes, they are that crazy in this county!

Perhaps the two challenges could be brought together? However another county is also famous for wrapping its cheese in stinging nettles.

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