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Cotswold Olimpicks

Kick hard, stand firm.

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Illustration: Cotswold Olimpicks
The legend
CustomFamous

Cotswold Olimpicks

Straw in your trousers.

Stand where it happened

What's there
Natural amphitheatre on a grassy escarpment
Legend from
Living custom
Tone
Lively
CustomsGames[custom]

Before you go

National Trust hill; event ticketed. Check before you go.

  • Dover's Hill
  • Near B4035
  • The pin is approximate.
  • DateFriday after Spring Bank Holiday

Shin-kicking on a hill since 1612.

The Cotswold Olimpicks on Dover's Hill were begun by the lawyer Robert Dover, probably in 1612, with the approval of James I. Wikipedia says they ended in 1852 and were revived in 1963. Events include shin-kicking, and the BBC reported a new shin-kicking champion in May 2026.

Sources

  1. Cotswold Olimpick Games, Wikipedia —
  2. The Cotswold Olimpicks at Dover's Hill, National Trust —
  3. Shin-kicking champion crowned at ancient Cotswold Olimpick Games (30 May 2026), BBC News —

Legends nearby

More Gloucestershire folklore →