Dunmow Flitch Trials

What to expect

The Trials are run like a court case, with a judge, counsel for the couple, counsel for the bacon, and a jury of six maidens and six bachelors. Couples are questioned and cross-examined in good humour, and the jury decides whether they have earned the flitch. Successful couples are carried shoulder-high in the traditional Flitch Chair and swear the old oath. Unsuccessful ones go home with a consolation prize of gammon. The courtroom banter is the heart of it, and the audience laughs along throughout.

The story behind it

The flitch custom is mentioned by Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales, so it was well known by the fourteenth century. It is linked to the old priory at Little Dunmow, which awarded bacon to couples who could swear to a year and a day of married contentment. The custom lapsed and was revived several times, notably in the nineteenth century, and Great Dunmow now stages the Trials every leap year. Applications are open to married couples from anywhere, including same-sex couples.

Getting there and home

There is no railway in Great Dunmow. Stansted Airport station, on the line from London Liverpool Street and Cambridge, is close, as is Bishop's Stortford, with buses and taxis onward. By road the town sits just off the A120. Expect busy streets and limited parking on the day, so allow extra time.

Watching, taking part and tips

Most visitors watch, but couples can apply to take part if married on or before 13 July 2027; applications open in September 2027 and close in February 2028. Details of venue, sessions and any tickets for 2028 were not published at the time of writing. Bring a sense of humour and something to keep cool, as it is a July event.

Taking part

There are two ways to get involved: apply as a claimant couple, or sit on the jury. The homepage invites unmarried local people aged eighteen to twenty-five on the trial date to join the jury, alongside application details for married couples. Read the invitation that applies to you and get in touch with the committee. A spectator ticket won't get you onto the jury, and turning up together won't make you accepted claimants.

If you're a couple thinking of applying, talk it over properly before making the trip the centrepiece of a holiday. The event is public, and the questioning is part of the entertainment. Ask the committee what paperwork, appearances and preparation are involved, and wait to be accepted before calling yourselves competitors. The application window opens well before the trial day, so there's plenty of time to check rather than make it up at the venue. Friends coming to support an accepted couple still need to sort out their own audience admission and session — being in the couple's party doesn't bring a reserved seat or backstage access.

Accessibility and families

Venue and session details for the next Trials haven't been confirmed yet, so start your access planning with the committee rather than a photo of a past marquee. Ask about the entrance, surfaces, wheelchair spaces, companion seating, accessible toilets and any queue before you get in. If hearing the courtroom exchanges is the heart of it for you, ask specifically about amplification and hearing support. A friendly 'everyone's welcome' won't answer those practical questions.

For families, explain the idea beforehand: this is a staged trial of questions and answers, not a procession or a fairground ride. Once lengths and times are published, choose a session that suits your children's patience. Ask whether you can pop out and come back if someone needs a break, and whether there's somewhere to leave a pushchair without blocking the audience. Bring a drink and a snack if the venue allows, and find a spot outside for a quiet pause. Keep any celebrating with successful claimants away from the entrances and the chair's route.

Make a day of it nearby

The Flitch Way makes an outing with a fittingly local name. This former railway line is now used for walking, cycling and horse riding, with several possible starting points. Pick a manageable section from the official map rather than trying the whole thing as a stroll before the Trials. Decide where you'll turn back or how you'll get home, and be considerate of other users when you stop to look at the old railway remains.

Hatfield Forest, with woodland and open grassland cared for by the National Trust, is the other option. The facilities are by the lake at the centre, the ground beyond is rougher, and phone reception is poor. Download the map and sort out any mobility equipment in advance, rather than trying to arrange it from a patch with no signal. Give the forest its own visit, checking parking and the café for your day. Both make good additions to an Essex stay, but neither answers the still-unconfirmed questions about parking, toilets and audience arrangements at the Trials.

Questions people ask

Where it is

Map pin shows the approximate area where the event happens. Open in OpenStreetMap ↗

Go straight to the source

Independent research. The organiser’s own information always wins — we have not visited or tested the journeys.

• Dunmow Flitch Trials ↗
• Dunmow Flitch Trials: history ↗
• Dunmow Flitch Trials: claimant and jury invitations ↗
• Essex County Council: Flitch Way ↗
• National Trust: Hatfield Forest ↗