You won’t believe these 7 West Country traditions

One thing I love about the West Country is its quirky character. 

There seem to be so many more traditions and festivals from this area of the country that reflect the South West’s unique heritage. 

Here are some of the most fascinating South West traditions that you can’t find anywhere else!

1. The Hurling of the Silver Ball (St. Ives, Cornwall)

This ancient Cornish sport, believed to date back over 1,000 years, is played on Feast Monday during February. 

Participants throw, carry and chase a small silver ball around St Ives, trying to keep hold of it as long as possible. 

It involves two teams, the “town” team and the “country” team, and ends when the ball reaches the parish boundary. Whatever team has possession wins!

2. Cheese Rolling (Cooper’s Hill, Gloucestershire)

Cheese rolling is one of the wackiest events in Britain! 

Competitors hurl themselves down Cooper’s Hill, a steep hill near Gloucester, chasing a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese.

Crowds gather to watch each year (get there early if you want to see it!) and the winner receives – you guessed it – the wheel of Double Gloucester. 

3. Obby Oss Festival (Padstow, Cornwall)

On 1st May each year, Padstow becomes the stage for one of Britain’s oddest festivals. 

Two teams parade hobby horses (or “osses”) through the streets, accompanied by drummers and dancers in a high-energy celebration of spring. 

The origins are unclear but may date back to ancient fertility rites – in Celtic tradition, Beltane celebrated the end of spring, start of summer and a new livestock cycle. This festival is thought to be connected. 

4. Wassailing (mainly in Somerset)

Wassailing is an ancient tradition still celebrated in parts of the West Country, particularly in Somerset. Typically held in January, it is a ritual aimed at ensuring a bountiful apple harvest for the coming year by “awakening” the orchards and warding off evil spirits.

The ceremony often begins after dark, with participants gathering in an orchard, led by a Wassail King or Queen. A cider-soaked piece of toast is placed in the branches of the most important tree, known as the “king tree,” as an offering to the orchard spirits. 

The crowd sings traditional wassailing songs, bangs pots and pans, and fires shotguns into the air to scare away any malevolent forces.

The festivities also involve drinking plenty of local cider, of course!

Wassailing has its roots in pagan practices. 

5. Furry Dance (Helston, Cornwall)

This springtime tradition, also known as the Flora Dance, takes over the town of Helston on 8th May each year. 

It’s a Spring festival that celebrates the start of summer, and traditionally couples wear formal attire to parade through the streets, which are covered in flowers and plants. 

Also called Hal an Tow, the parade depicts Heston’s history with stories from the Spanish Armada and smugglers as it parades through buildings and people’s homes to ward off winter spirits. They are accompanied by a traditional band playing the iconic Furry Dance tune.

6. Tar Barrel Rolling (Ottery St. Mary, Devon)

On Bonfire Night, flaming barrels coated in tar are carried on the shoulders of brave locals through the streets of Ottery St. Mary in East Devon (near Exeter). 

This tradition originates from the 17th century, although exactly why it started is unknown (it’s thought that it begun after the Gunpowder Plot). Although other theories are that the flaming barrels were supposed to warn the surroundings of the incoming Spanish Armada or that it was supposed to fumigate the cottages! 

There’s also an annual bonfire. 

7. Glastonbury Thorn Ceremony (Glastonbury, Somerset)

Each December (around the 13th) a sprig of the legendary Glastonbury Thorn tree is cut and sent to the monarch as part of a ceremony at St John’s Church. 

The tree is said to have sprung from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, who put Jesus from his tomb, when he arrived in Britain, thus is has important religious elements. 

In the Thorn ceremony, the eldest child at St John’s Infant School cuts a sprig from the tree, which is then blessed by the vicar, and then it’s sent on to the monarch.