Gatherings - Season 1

An ancient custom rooted in a Scottish fishing community, the Burry Man is covered head to toe in sticky burrs and parades the streets of South Queensferry in an exhausting test of endurance.

Derived from the centuries-old practice of renewing rushes on church floors, the cart-pulling community of Sowerby Bridge carries out a spectacular annual tradition, all deeply rooted in the valley.

In one of England's oldest surviving customs, a group of locals from Abbots Bromley remove the ancient horns from the village church, tread the surrounding lanes and perform their ritual dance.

On the streets of Jedburgh in the Scottish borders, two sides clash in a fierce, all-day game of Hand Ba' - a raw, chaotic tradition where heritage, rivalry, and honour are fought for, ball by ball.

Flaming torches and effigies light up the narrow streets of Rye as this Sussex town erupts in a fiery night of defiance, remembrance, and tightly held tradition. Rye burns its boats!

The Lord, the Fool and the Chief-Boggin oversee one of Britain's most unique folk rituals. Villagers compete to 'sway' a leather hood toward one of four pubs in a centuries-old game with very few rules!