Robert Dover’s Cotswold Olimpick Games 2018

The Cotswold Olimpicks is a traditional Spring festival held on the Friday after Whit Sunday on the edge of the stunningly beautiful Cotswold town of Chipping Campden.

Each year, on the traditional date of Friday after Spring Bank Holiday (the date for the Games this year is Friday 1st June 2018 on Dover's Hill ), the hill echoes with the shouts and cheers of competitors and spectators as Robert Dover's Cotswold 'Olimpick' Games (not Olympic Games) are celebrated. Bands march, cannon fire, rustic activities and wrestling take place, and the evening is brought to a close with fireworks and a torchlight procession into Campden followed by dancing in the square.

The history of the games is traced back to 1612 when Robert Dover gave his name to a set of games, festivities and general merriment on the edge of the Cotswold escarpment which would (much) later bear his name, Dover's Hill.

This a unique continuation of early rural sporting events, combining informal, amateur sporting events for competitors, the majority of whom register on the night of the Games, with general entertainment and activities for visitors. Below we present an overview of the 'Sporting Events' at the Games. In true amateur spirit, all of our events are free to enter.

Schedule

5.00pm Gates Open
Sideshows, food, music, dance and static displays will be open from this time.
​6.00pm Cavalry of Heroes
Jousting and fighting in the main arena
​7.15pm Opening Ceremony
Olympic Gold Medallist & World Champion Matt Gotrel will officially open the games.​
7.30pm The Championship of the Hill
Parade of the teams who compete in a succession of rural sports beginning with the traditional obstacle race.​
8.15pm The Champion of the Hill
Throwing the hammer, putting the shot, standing jump & spurning the barre.
8.30pm Shinkicking Heats​
9.00pm Tug of War Final​
9.15pm Shinkicking World Championship Final​
9.30pm The Finale
Robert Dover & Endymion Porter escort the Scuttlebrook Queen from the lower arena to light the beacon. the firework display begins.
​10.00pm Torchlit Procession to The Square
The procession leads off from the main entrance fronted by The Coventry Corps of Drums with the Sambassadors further back. Everyone is invited to take part, with torches that are available from the stall. See programme.​
10.30pm Get Carter playing until midnight​
12.00am Close

Champion of The Hill One of the traditional events at the Games, this antecedant of modern events like the pentathlon involves individual competitors competing at 4 separate events (in the lower arena). These events are: Static Jump (jumping as far as possible from a standstill), Spurning the Barre (an old English version of the Scottish tossing the caber), Hammer Throw and Putting the Shot. The combined total for all four events decides the winner. Entries for this event open at 6.30pm on the night of the Games. Entry is open to all adults over 16.

Championship of the Hill A true crowd pleaser! The traditional team challenges of ancient rural Games, updated for the 21st century! Teams of 6 participents (many from local pubs or other groups) compete against each other in a series of ever-more-frantic, and ever-wetter games! These games vary from year to year, but generally include relays involving wheebarrows, dustbins, hay bales, slippery running surfaces and lots of water! Very limited team entries are available for this event, but you must notify us beforehand. We reserve the right to refuse entry if this event reaches its maximum of 6 teams.

Junior Circuit A short, undulating cross-country race for children between the ages of 3 and 13. Very popular with local children, this 1/2 mile race runs a full circuit around the base of Dover's Hill, giving the children the chance to race in front of 1000s of spectators. There is a prize for the first boy and girl in various age categories, and every child gets a souvenir badge! Entry is free, and takes place on the night, from 6.30pm.

Five Mile Run Actually, it's nearer 4.6 miles - Excuse our poetic licence! A truly spectacular route leads the (adult) runners out of the lower arena from Dover's Castle, through the stunning, private, and very scenic Campden House Estate, before working its way back into the arena, to finish in front of a crowd of spectators. Entry is free, and registration takes place on the night, from 6.30pm.

Tug O' War One of the traditional rural sports, (and former Olympic sport), and still taken very seriously. Teams of 8 people pit their strength against opposing teams, in a series of 'pulls' culminating in a final in front of Dover's Castle on the Lower Arena. A limited number of team entries may be available. Please let us know your intention to enterbefore the Games.

Shin Kicking The media's favourite (for some strange reason!). One of the sports which took place in 1612, and we're still doing it to this day (although we've made it a bit safer since those days - Steel toe caps are banned, and we allow the use of straw to pad shins). If you fancy being a media 'star', you'd better read our separate page on shin kicking first! Entry is free, and registration takes place on the night, from 6.30pm.

Accessibility Information
Getting up the Hill ​ By Bus: Return shuttle service from The Square to the hill Tickets are £1 adults 50p children and can be bought on the day from the ticket stall in The Square By Car: Limited paid parking on the hill and FREE parking at Chipping Campden High School. Please park considerately within the town. By Foot: via Cotswold Way footpath which begins opposite the Volunteer on Back Ends and continues up Hoo Lane where you will see the signpost to the hill. Please take care where walking on roads.

From: Fri June 1, 2018
To: Fri June 1, 2018
Start Time: 5:00 pm
End Time: 12:00 am
Cost: £6.50
Cost Details: We've reduced the price of a child's ticket by £1 to £2.50 and we've frozen the price of an adult ticket from 2016 at £6.50.
Venue: Dovers Hill
Address: Dovers Hill, Chipping Campden Gloucestershire
Postcode: GL55 6UW
Min Attendees: n/a
Max Attendees: n/a
Website: Click to View
Booking site: Click to View