Pitchup.com picks this year’s quirkiest UK championship events

Sochi’s just held the Winter Olympics, Brazil’s getting ready for the World Cup. And right here in Britain, some lesser-known and slightly quirkier championships are taking place over the next few months.

Outdoor accommodation specialist Pitchup.com has selected some of the more quirky events taking place around the UK over the next few months – and suggests some great places to stay nearby.

Bog snorkelling in Wales

Part of the World Alternative Games, the 29^th World Bog Snorkelling Championships in Llanwrtyd Wells on August 24 will be attended by hundreds of participants and spectators from around the world. Last year, 18-year-old Dineka Maguire from Northern Ireland set a new world record.

Cringoed Caravan Park, Llanbrynmair, West Wales has no restrictions on pitch size and no charge for pup tents and is ideally placed for a stay.  There is a shower and toilet block to clean up anyone brave enough to enter!

Price: Four nights (August 21-25) on a grass pitch is £64 for two adults – £8 per person per night.

Cheese rolling in Gloucester

Hordes of fearless contestants will chase a weighty 8lb Double Gloucester cheese (or plastic version, as was used in 2013) down the death-defyingly-steep Cooper’s Hill in Gloucester on May 26.

Family-friendly Denfurlong Farm, Cheltenham, in the heart of the Cotswold Hills, is within 450 acres of farm land and with its own farm shop and café where visitors can indulge in a taste of other local produce including the farm’s very own beef, milk, cream, yoghurts and ice cream!

Price: Four nights (May 23-27) on a non-electric grass pitch is £40 for two people - £5 per person per night. Dogs included in the price.

Birdman festival in Bognor

Watch contestants in flying machines, gliders and other contraptions hurl themselves off Bognor Regis pier in a bid to win £30,000 at the International Bognor Birdman Festival, June 28-29.

Nearby accommodation can be found at Chichester Lakeside Holiday Park which has a heated outdoor pool, all day kids’ sessions, bistro, nightly entertainment and 10 fishing lakes set within 150 acres. Use of park facilities and entertainment passes are included in the accommodation price.

Price: Four nights (June 26-30) on a grass pitch costs £99 for two people – £12.40 per person per night.

Gurning in Cumbria

The World Gurning Contest, which involves participants pulling grotesque expressions with their head in a braffin (horse collar), is part of the Egremont Crab Fair which takes place on September 20.

Inside Out Camping, Borrowdale, has 16ft diameter yurts for five people with futons/airbeds, duvets, pillows, a woodburning stove, solar lights, gas cooker, barbecue and picnic table.  Set in one of Cumbria’s most picturesque valleys, visitors will enjoy a relaxing and peaceful setting with simple facilities.

Price: Four nights (September 19-23) costs £295 for up to five people – £14.75 per person per night.

Find out more about other quirky festivals and attractions in the UK on the Pitchup.com blog.

For more information visit www.pitchup.com.

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Media information:

Cass Helstrip, Samantha Marsh or Jardine Howlett at White Tiger PR

Cass.helstrip@whitetigerpr.com 07968 255464

Samantha.marsh@whitetigerpr.com 07711 265666

Jardine.howlett@whitetigerpr.com 07866 508737

Notes to editors

Founded in 2009 by former lastminute.com man, Dan Yates, multi-award winning Pitchup.com is a free guide to all types of outdoor accommodation in the UK, Ireland and France. The site provides users with a simple platform in which they can search and book an outdoor holiday with total ease. The customer experience from landing on the home page through to booking a holiday can be completed in as little as four pages. The site also goes beyond traditional searches by allowing users to search for accommodation based on more than 80 criteria, such as adults only and campfires allowed, and view nearby events, Good Pub Guide pubs and VisitBritain attractions. Users can also search on the offers page to find the best deals available. Pitchup.com features over 5,000 UK wide camping and caravanning sites/parks with France recently added into the equation. It enables users to search for all types of parks and sites from the major brands right through to one off campsites and unique outdoor accommodation options, which may not have previously had a web presence.