Odd Cotswolds and Gloucestershire

A woolsack, a cheese and a strip-paper costume can all feature in an outing from this collection. Tetbury races uphill carrying wool, Cooper’s Hill sends runners chasing a cheese and Dover’s Hill stages the Cotswold Olimpicks. Marshfield’s paper boys and St Briavels’ bread-and-cheese dole add customs with quite different rhythms.

Pick a venue and a date before planning the countryside around them. These are separate places, and watching a steep-hill race is a very different proposition from standing for a village play. Check the terrain, crowd advice and rules for taking part in the guide. An informal-looking event can still lack casual entry, easy parking or step-free viewing.