Royal Shrovetide Football is one of the most extraordinary traditions in England. Played through the streets, fields, and streams of Ashbourne every Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, the game pits the Up'Ards (those born north of the Henmore Brook) against the Down'Ards (those born south of it) in a contest with almost no rules — teams can number in the hundreds, the play lasts from 2pm to 10pm, and the goals are millstones on the banks of the brook three miles apart.
The game cannot really be watched — it is more experienced. The ball can end up anywhere: in a pub, in the river, in a private garden. Spectators become part of the crowd and sometimes part of the game. Businesses board up their windows, and the town has an atmosphere unlike anything at any other time of year. If you happen to be in Derbyshire on Shrove Tuesday or Ash Wednesday, rearrange your schedule. Even those with no interest in sport find it compelling.