Cheese-rolling, horse skulls & morris dancers: Britain's strange folk customs

From green men and jolly horse skulls, to chasing cheese down hills and morris dancing, Britain has a rich tradition of folk customs. Some are strange, some downright silly. But, as Liz Williams tells Ellie Cawthorne, some of these traditions can also have a darker aspect, based on shame, judgement and social conformity.

Liz Williams is the author of Rough Music: Folk Customs, Transgression and Alternative Britain (Reaktion Books, 2025).