In addition to the liturgical beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday with the imposition of ashes in some places in England the week after Quinquagesima is still marked by traditional boisterous celebrations to let steam off before the austerities of Lent. Carnival never seems to have become an established custom in this country but a number of towns have retained, or revived, medieval popular sporting entertainments to mark the beginning of the penitential season.
I also included the link to the Wikipedia article about Shrove Tuesday Football Ceremony of the Purbeck Marblers
Last year I wrote Shrove Tuesday fun and games
This year the Shrovetide event which has caught the interest of the media is from Derbyshire with coverage of the Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football game, which is reported upon by the BBC News website at Down'Ards win Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football game
Quite apart from this splendly anarchic and indeed historically interesting survival of the Shrovetide game Ashbourne is very well worth visiting as an attractive and historic market town. It was one which saw the proclamation of King James III in 1745 as the Jacobite army advanced towards Derby. The great architectural glory of the town is the medieval church of St Oswald, which in addition to being a very fine building, has a magnificent array of tombs from several eras and a very rare survival in an original brass plaque recording its consecration in the twelfth century.
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