#22.
Custom: Tichborne Dole
About: Established in the twelfth century by the lady of Tichborne House, Mabella Tichborne, as she lay on her deathbed. She wanted to leave a donation in her will, annually gifting food to the poor. Begrudgingly, her husband offered her land to do so, on a condition; she could have as much land as she could run around, with a lit flame. She made it round 23 acres before the flame expired. Ever since her death in c1150, every resident in the Tichborne area is entitled to one gallon of flour every year – their surnames are read out one by one, followed by the gallons due “Harris two and a half”

#20.
Custom: Olney Pancake Race
About: This annual race has been going for over 500 years. It is said to have started in 1445, when a local woman panicked when she heard church bells ringing from her kitchen and, fearing she would be late for a Shriving service to confess her sins before Lent, she ran through the town in her apron, holding her pan.

#21.
Custom: Atherstone Ball Game
About: This is an annual game, dating back to 1199, when Leicestershire and Warwickshire teams played a match using a bag full of gold. It’s brutal, bloody, and seemed more like an excuse for a sanctioned brawl than anything else.