Wacky and Unusual Days Out in England

If you're looking for something really out of the ordinary to brighten your England holidays, you don't have to look far.

The English have always had a reputation for eccentricity and we also do the wacky rather well.

Many places in England preserve (and continue to practise) customs that can only appear wild and wonderful to a generation raised on comparatively sedate TV programs and computer games, but that make delightfully wacky days out in England.

Take cheese rolling, for example.

The 'civilised' version of that ancient art is practised in Stilton, where teams roll wooden truckles along the road between two pubs. Whoever gets their "cheese" to the end fastest gets the beer and the accolade.

But there's a "dark side" to cheese rolling, and that one's practised in Gloucester. Here, the competitors hurl themselves down a seriously steep hill chasing a Double Gloucester Cheese! Fun to watch, but I would not recommend taking part.



If you like your fun with a bit more tradition, you could watch the tournament of jesters during the Festival of Fools at Muncaster Castle.

You could try your hand at nettle eating or enter the Black pudding throwing championships.

Vintage Car Driving Through Redhill On Its Way From London to Brighton in 2018Vintage Car Driving Through Redhill On Its Way From London to Brighton in 2018 © essentially-england.com

How about cheering vintage cars as they try and complete the journey between London and Brighton, or try your balance during a pancake race.

Or if you have a taste for the wacky side of history, try taking part in the 400-year-old Cotswold Olimpicks.

If you love sport, then England is definitely the place for you. There are football, rugby and cricket matches almost every weekend somewhere in England. Sailing and rowing regattas are popular and so is horse racing.

Have you ever been greyhound racing? It's surprisingly good fun, even if you can just about tell one end of a dog from another.

What about snail racing? Or Morris dancing?


Around late October/early November our local county of Northamptonshire hosts the annual World Conker Championship and the World Puddle Jumping Championships. We really must make an effort to see these events...



For more ideas on what to do on holiday return from Days out in England to the Fun Days Out page.