Royal Shrovetide Football
Ashbourne's medieval town-wide football played over two days each Shrove Tuesday — few rules and goals three miles apart.
🌤outdoor
What is Royal Shrovetide Football?
Royal Shrovetide Football is a medieval mass football game played annually through the town of Ashbourne, Derbyshire on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. Two teams — the "Up'Ards" (born north of the river) and "Down'Ards" (born south) — battle to "goal" a hand-painted ball against markers three miles apart. The whole town is the pitch; play can last from 2 pm until 10 pm.
Quick facts
Category
Traditional & Cultural Sports
Type
Team sport
Players
50–5000
Where played
outdoor
Country of origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Estimated origin
Medieval Ashbourne, Derbyshire (documented from at least 1667)
Olympic
No
Popularity
niche
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-24.verified