Who can you spot taking part in the time honoured tradition of the Haxey Hood over the years?Who can you spot taking part in the time honoured tradition of the Haxey Hood over the years?
Who can you spot taking part in the time honoured tradition of the Haxey Hood over the years?

Are you among the crowds at the famous Haxey Hood in years gone by?

Over the years thousands have battled for the honour of displaying the Haxey Hood proudly displayed in their pub for a year but this year the event has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and the new tier restrictions.

While the contest, which dates back to 1359, is not going ahead here are some pictures to remind you of the previous battles and those who braved the mud in pictures going back to 1999.

For those who don’t know the Haxey Hood takes places on the Twelfth Night and is a battle of wits and courage to get the famed hood across the Isle of Axholme and to the pub’s landlord first.

The game of Haxey Hood started after Lady de Mowbray, wife of Isle landowner, John De Mowbray, was out riding towards Westwoodside on the hill that separates it from Haxey. As she went over the hill her silk riding hood was blown away by the wind. Thirteen farm workers in the field rushed to help and chased the hood all over the field. It was finally caught by one of the farm workers, but being too shy to hand it back to the lady, he gave it to one of the others to hand back to her.

She thanked the farm worker who had returned the hood and said that he had acted like a Lord, whereas the worker who had actually caught the hood was a Fool. So amused was she by this act of chivalry and the resulting chase, that she donated 13 acres of land on condition that the chase for the hood would be re-enacted each year.

The hood is actually a cylindrical piece of leather and the four pubs which compete in the sway are The Loco, Duke William and the King's Arms in Haxey and the Carpenters Arms in Westwoodside.

Last year it was the Kings’ first victory since 2017, following two successive wins for the Carpenters Arms at Westwoodside.

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