Quirky Bank Holiday Events: Cheese Rolling, Woolsack & Wheelbarrow Races, Duck Races, and Banger Racing

Discover quirky bank holiday events across the West including cheese rolling, woolsack and wheelbarrow races, duck races, and banger racing, featuring rich traditions and community fun.

Cheese Rolling at Cooper's Hill

On Monday, thousands will gather at Cooper's Hill in Gloucester for the annual cheese rolling races, an event known for its thrilling and unconventional nature. Participants race down a steep slope chasing a rolling cheese, a spectacle that draws significant attention every year.

Tetbury Woolsack Races

The Tetbury Woolsack Races take place on Bank Holiday Monday in Gloucestershire, with a forecast of warm, sunny weather that may challenge the competitors. Participants run up and down the steep Gumstool Hill carrying 60-pound sacks of wool on their shoulders. This tradition dates back to the 17th century when men ran between pubs carrying wool sacks to impress local women.

Tetbury was historically a major wool market, surrounded by sheep country and situated on a key route from Oxford to Bristol. The modern form of the races began in the 1970s but was paused during the Covid-19 pandemic, returning in 2024.

Danny and Kirsten Toft helped establish a new committee after the pandemic hiatus. Kirsten Toft has a notable history with the event, having set the Guinness World Record for the fastest female time of one minute and six seconds in 1992.

The races this year include men's and women's individual events, relays, primary school races, and youth races for teenagers aged 14 to 17.

Aircam Drone Services @aircamdrone.co.uk A woman wearing a yellow top carries a bag of wool over her shoulders as she runs along a road as part of the Tetbury Woolsack Races. Dozens of people are watching her from alongside the road, behind metal barriers — Competitors in Tetbury are cheered on by enthusiastic crowds

A man with grey hair and a bib with the number two is running up a hill with a large brown sack on his shoulders. The street is lined with crowds of people. — Other than during the pandemic, the Woolsack Race has taken over Tetbury every year since the 1970s - including in 1998 when this picture was taken

Watchet Wheelbarrow Race

As part of the Watchet Carnival in Somerset, the town will host its annual wheelbarrow race on Sunday. Some teams incorporate a half pint of lager or cider at eight pit stops located at various pubs and sports clubs along the route. The roles of 'pusher' and 'pushee' switch halfway through the race.

Participants often customize their wheelbarrows and dress in fancy costumes, with around 30 teams competing across men's, ladies', and mixed categories.

"It's the time of the year where everyone in Watchet comes out. The people who enter put a lot of time and effort to dress their wheelbarrows. Last year, there was a huge airplane with a moveable nose and wings." - Kevin Porter, organiser

The event began 25 years ago as a fundraiser for the Watchet Carnival. This year's race starts at 14:00 on Sunday on the Esplanade.

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Watchet wheelbarrow races A line of competitors in the Watchet wheelbarrow races smile and shout as they sprint towards the camera. Many of them are in fancy dress — The start of the Watchet wheelbarrow race can be a hectic affair

Watchet Wheelbarrow Race Three different sets of competitors take part in the Watchet wheelbarrow races, with the people in the wheelbarrows wearing different types of fancy dress. It is a sunny day, and dozens of people are watching from the roadside — The wheelbarrow races are all about teamwork - and fancy dress

Bradford-on-Avon Duck Race

The Bradford-on-Avon Duck Race returns on Bank Holiday Monday, with the plastic ducks launched off the town bridge into the river at noon. The ducks float downstream and are retrieved by a canoe team.

Ducks can be sponsored at local shops and pubs or purchased on the day. The event was originally scheduled for Easter Monday but was postponed twice due to swans nesting on the river.

The town council has assured residents that all pre-purchased ducks remain valid for the new date. This year, the launch point has been moved to McKeever Bridge, the next crossing downstream from the usual Town Bridge, due to the nesting swans.

Prizes include swimming lessons, cream tea vouchers, gig tickets, and lifestyle cushions from local family-run interiors business Dible & Roy.

Bradford-on-Avon Town Council Crowds of people stand on an old bridge in Bradford-on-Avon as bags of rubber ducks are thrown into the water. Near the bridge, people stand and watch. — Every year, hundreds of small rubber ducks are dropped off a bridge into the River Avon

Bradford-on-Avon Town Council Someone wearing a rubber duck suit with a yellow body and orange beak. They are stood with their arms out in a crowd. — It's the second time this year the organisers have tried to hold the races

Langport Duck Race

Langport in Somerset hosts a second duck race on Monday from 11:00 to 14:00 BST, organised by the local Rotary Club. Hundreds of ducks will be released into the river, with participants purchasing ducks for a chance to win £100 if their duck finishes first.

"Rotary is going quackers over the bank holiday," said Adrian Carter from Langport and Somerset Rotary Charity. "We will raise money for local charities and groups. For example, Christmas lunches and Somerset Young Carers."

Mendips Banger Racing

On Monday, the Mendip Hills south of Bristol will host bank holiday banger racing at the Mendips Raceway near Cheddar, starting at 13:00 BST. This motorsport involves drivers competing in contact races where vehicles often sustain significant damage.

Multiple races are scheduled, with free entry for children under five accompanied by paying adults. Dogs on leads are also welcome.

Lime Jelly Photography Beat up three-wheeled cars and a green caravan are driving around a track with a small crowd behind on a grassy bank. — The races are not for the faint hearted, or those who want their vehicle to stay intact

Lime Jelly Photography Beat up cars drive round a track with the crowd behind a fence in the background. One of the cars is driving onto the grass while another has two wheels up in the air.

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