Historic Cartmel Gathering to rekindle Lancashire links 170 years on
Racegoers from Preston and across Lancashire could once again be part of a historic county tradition this spring, as Cartmel Racecourse celebrates 170 years since its first recorded meeting — at a time when visitors from Central Lancashire may already have been making the journey.
On Whit Bank Holiday Monday, May 25, Cartmel will host the Cartmel Gathering, a major celebration of traditional sport, community competition and racing, marking the anniversary of the first modern meeting held at the course on Whit Monday in 1856.
At the time, Cartmel was part of Lancashire, and while most visitors would have come from surrounding rural communities, people from towns such as Preston travelled north to attend. By the mid-19th century, Preston was a key railway hub, with connections to Lancaster providing a route towards the Cartmel peninsula, with the final stretch completed by horse and carriage.
The Cartmel Gathering aims to recreate the spirit of those early meetings, when race days were as much a rural festival as a sporting event — bringing together communities from across Lancashire for competition, entertainment and celebration.
Alongside a full programme of jump racing, the event will feature traditional sporting contests including tug of war and Cumberland & Westmorland wrestling, as well as elements of the Cartmel Show, fairground attractions, traditional stalls and live music from Flookburgh Band.
The wrestling will be staged as a fully accredited Cumberland & Westmorland Wrestling Association competition, showcasing one of the region’s most distinctive traditional sports. The programme will also include a Traditional Wrestling Costume Competition, celebrating the heritage attire of the sport, including the distinctive embroidered black velvet trunks synonymous with Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling.
Howard Tindall, representing the Cumberland & Westmorland Wrestling Association, said:
“Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling has been part of gatherings and rural celebrations across Cumbria for generations. It’s wonderful to see Cartmel embracing that heritage and staging a fully accredited competition as part of the celebrations. The costume competition will also showcase one of the most colourful and distinctive traditions in British sport.”
The tug of war competition is being organised with support from Upper Eden Tug of War Club.
Stacey Mitchell, organiser from the club, said:
“Tug of war has deep roots in rural communities and agricultural shows, so it feels like a natural fit for an event like the Cartmel Gathering. We’re really looking forward to bringing teams together for what should be a fantastic day of competition and community spirit.”
Tug of war teams from Young Farmers Clubs, sporting clubs, local businesses and community groups are encouraged to enter, with further details available via the Cartmel Racecourse website.
Participation from the Cartmel Show will help to recreate the atmosphere of the early gatherings, which blended sport, agriculture and community celebration. Their involvement will bring added entertainment for families, alongside a traditional fair and festival-style attractions.
Visitors will also have the chance to meet social media sensation ‘Jumping with Ivy’, whose equestrian content has attracted more than a million followers online, with a special meet and greet taking place during the day.
Cartmel Racecourse Director Geraldine McKay said:
“When racing first took place at Cartmel in 1856 it was very much part of Lancashire’s story. While many would have travelled from nearby communities, towns such as Preston were already well connected, and it’s entirely plausible that people made the journey north to be part of those early meetings.
“The Cartmel Gathering is about celebrating that shared heritage — bringing together sport, community and tradition in a way that reflects what those early race days would have felt like.”
Cartmel Racecourse stages nine days of racing each year and is one of the best-attended jump racecourses in Britain, attracting around 80,000 visitors annually.
The Cartmel Gathering promises a day of sport, colour and traditional competition set against one of the country’s most distinctive racecourse settings — continuing a shared Lancashire story nearly 170 years in the making.