Royal Shrovetide Football

E584115

Royal Shrovetide Football is a centuries-old, town-wide ball game played annually in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, in which large teams compete across the countryside with few formal rules.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Atherstone Ball Game 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf annual event
cultural tradition of England
traditional ball game
ballBuoyancy designed to float in water
ballDecoration individually painted with unique designs
ballFilling cork shavings
ballName Shrovetide ball NERFINISHED
ballType hand-painted leather ball
category medieval football game
sport in Derbyshire
country United Kingdom
culturalSignificance major event in Ashbourne community life
duration two days
endTimeEachDay 22:00
firstRecorded at least 17th century
frequency annual
goalDistanceApart approximately three miles
hasFeature ball can be carried, thrown, or swum with
few formal rules
goals are stone plinths in former mill sites
large moving scrum called the hug
played across town and surrounding countryside
shops and windows are boarded up for protection
very large number of players
hasGoal Down’Ards goal at Clifton Mill NERFINISHED
Up’Ards goal at Sturston Mill NERFINISHED
hasParticipant Down’Ards NERFINISHED
Up’Ards NERFINISHED
location Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England NERFINISHED
objective to goal the ball at the opposing team’s millstone goal
occursDuring Shrovetide NERFINISHED
patron British monarch NERFINISHED
playedIn Ashbourne NERFINISHED
royalConnection received royal patronage from King Edward VII
visited by Prince Charles in 2003
rule no hiding the ball in bags or vehicles
no intentional serious violence
no play in churchyards
no play in the cemetery
no play on the town memorials
no use of motor vehicles to move the ball
safetyMeasure police and marshals help manage crowds
scoringMethod ball must be tapped three times on the goal stone
startTimeEachDay 14:00
teamDivisionBasis north and south of the Henmore Brook
tourismImpact attracts visitors from across the UK and abroad
traditionalClaim played for over 800 years
typicalMonth February

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Ashbourne knownFor Royal Shrovetide Football
Ashbourne hasEvent Royal Shrovetide Football
Atherstone hasTraditionalEvent Royal Shrovetide Football
this entity surface form: Atherstone Ball Game