Hundreds of spectators lined the street in Grantchester to watch this year’s hotly-contested barrel race.
Grantchester celebrated the 21st anniversary of its barrel-rolling event in 2024, an event which involves teams rolling large wooden barrels in a relay race up and down Coton Road before lunch on Boxing Day.
The races kicked off at noon with teams from The Red Lion, The Blue Ball, The Rupert Brooke and The Green Man pubs, as well as those not associated with the venues.
The Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith Heppell
Spectators packed the street behind a (not very protective) line of straw while the barrels careered past. The winners were:
Men – The Red Lion Roarers;
Ladies – The Red Lionesses;
Family and Friends – The Lancasters;
Next Generation (aged 16 to 25) – The Thriplow Tractors; and
County Championships – Foxcotte (Barton).
One of the organisers, Francis Burkitt, a canon of Ely Cathedral, said: “It all went very well and I’m happy to say I was on the winning men’s team, although I think that was down to the efforts of my very strong team mates as I had a bit of a wobbly start.
“We were pleased to see the Red Lionesses win, which was especially nice for their team member Judith Barwise, who has been a very good roller for many years.”
The Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Bav MediaThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Bav MediaThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Bav MediaThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Bav MediaThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith HeppellThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith HeppellBoxing Day Barrel racing in Grantchester. Picture: Keith HeppellThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith HeppellThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith HeppellThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith Heppell
The Grantchester barrel rolling tradition first started in the 1960s and was revived 21 years ago. One of the very few rules is that none of the competitors is allowed to practise.
“In fact, if you are caught practising that means immediate disqualification,” said Francis.
He added: “The secret of a successful race is to drink beer beforehand. It’s actually quite a hard 200-yard sprint and it’s a really difficult position to run in because you’re bending over a barrel.
“I think having a couple of pints inside you gives you that little extra zip and oomph that you need to compete.”
The wooden barrels are actually whiskey barrels as “wooden beer barrels are so hard to come by these days”, added Francis.
The Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith HeppellThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith HeppellThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith HeppellThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith HeppellThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith HeppellThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith HeppellThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith HeppellThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith HeppellThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith HeppellThe Grantchester barrel race 2024. Picture: Keith Heppell
A collection raised £1,200 for the village church to improve wheelchair access.