The quiet peak district market town of Ashbourne, is a peaceful place, with picturesque green spaces and a warm community spirit. But all that changes on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.
The annual match begins each year at 2pm and sees the town’s population set aside friendships and even family ties to compete against one another as Up’ards and Down’ards over two days.
The exciting, dramatic, chaotic mass ball game, sees the town’s streets, fields and waterways swamped with players and onlookers and attracts in excess of 5,000 people. Shrovetide attracts interest from camera crews, photographers and journalists from across the globe.
The popularity of this Derbyshire towns tradition continues to grow each year, accommodation within the town its self can be hard to find, how ever in the near by hamlet of Matlock bath, 98 fountain villas can provide a great place to stay and relax after a day of watching the spectacle of the game take place.
