Winster Pancake Races will take place on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 21, continuing a tradition that is believed to have been started 150 years ago. One theory is that the event was founded by Llewellyn Jewitt when he lived in Winster Hall at a time when children were given a half-day off from school and went home to stuff their faces with pancakes.
The 100m race route stretches from the Dower House to the Market House down the cordoned-off main street. Children’s and adults’ races provide fun for families and a great spectacle for bystanders.
Photos from our archives capture the pancake day fun in Winster and other parts of Derbyshire down the years.
1. Double delight
Brian Byard of Bank Road, Matlock, wins the Winster pancake race for the second year running in 1978. Photo: National World
3. Winning run
A clear winner emerges from the chasing pack in the mums and toddlers heat in Winster in 2008. Photo: Paul Robinson
4. Catch-up
Joshua Wood and Phillipa Marsden, year five pupils at Winster Primary School, race for the finish line in 2009. Photo: Paul Robinson