Ashbourne Derbyshire

Ł375.00

This is my impression of this market town located in the middle of the Derbyshire Peak District. The market square seen here is occupied on Sundays by the “wrinkly bikers” who arrive on and display their superbikes before enjoying tea and crumpets at Spencers Tea Rooms.
The event that Ashbourne is famous for is the Shrove Tuesday Football Game. This extaordinary and somewhat barbaric “sporting event” began in medieval times and is held annually on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, drawing crowds of thousands to Ashbourne every year. The so-called teams consist of those who live north of Henmore Brook which runs through the town, who are known as the `Uppards' and those who live to the south, known as the `Downards'. To start the game the ball, which is made of leather filled with tightly packed cork shavings, is `turned up' or thrown into the crowd by a celebrity and the two teams have to fight for it and try to score a goal. The respective “goals” are at Sturton Mill and Clifton Mill, which ensures that players must inevitably plunge into the brook! In the unlikely event of a goal being scored before 5pm a new ball is “turned up” and play continues until dark. Scoring is so rare that anyone who scores is allowed to keep the ball as a trophy, thus new ones are made every year.

If ordered with frame the frame size is 24" x 20"

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Ashbourne Derbyshire