Hungerford Hocktide (Tutti Day)

What to expect

Early in the morning the Bellman calls the commoners from the Town Hall balcony. The Hocktide Court sits from 9am to about 10.30am, while the Constable sends out the Tutti Men. They tour the town claiming rents and privileges from households, which these days usually means a kiss, and hand out oranges, some of them to children along the way. Later comes a ticketed lunch with Plantagenet punch, and the shoeing of the colts, when newcomers have a horseshoe nail tapped into their heel until they shout 'Punch!' The Tutti Men carry on around the pubs into the evening.

The story behind it

Hungerford's commoners hold fishing and grazing rights said to have been granted by John of Gaunt in the fourteenth century. Hocktide is how the town keeps those rights in order: rents are collected, officers are chosen and the rules of the common are read out. The Town and Manor of Hungerford still governs the day, and it continues to draw crowds, with Constable's Sunday rounding it off with a parade to St Lawrence's Church.

Getting there and home

Hungerford is on the Reading to Westbury line, and the station is a short walk from the Town Hall on the High Street. By road, junction 14 of the M4 is a few miles north. Parking is limited around the High Street, so use the town's car parks and walk in.

Watching, taking part and tips

The court and roles are for commoners, so visitors watch. The morning send-off outside the Town Hall is the best moment to catch everyone together. Look out for the Tutti Men around town afterwards, and do not be surprised if you are asked for a kiss. Lunch tickets are limited and need booking well ahead. It is a fun day for families, especially with oranges being handed out.

Taking part

Hocktide is real civic business as well as colourful street encounters. The Town and Manor describes a jury chosen from Commoners, a roll call, accounts, the reading of the Ancient Customs and the appointment of officers. You’ll get far more from watching if you see those as the point of the court, rather than just waiting for the poles and oranges. Keep quiet when proceedings call for it, and ask the organiser about visitor admission and any limits before planning around an indoor session.

The organiser uses the title Tutti Men/Women and says Tutti Boys have joined the accompanying group since 2023, so a traditional title doesn’t always tell you who holds a role today. And being a visitor doesn’t make you eligible to exercise Common Rights or sit on the jury; those are matters for the Town and Manor.

The famous shoeing after lunch is, in the organiser’s words, light-hearted and symbolic: the horseshoe is real, the shoeing is not. If you’re invited to join in a custom and aren’t sure, ask what’s involved and decide what you’re comfortable with. You needn’t accept every interaction to enjoy the day, and a friendly "no thanks" needs no elaborate explanation.

Eating and drinking

The Hocktide luncheon is a separate part of the day with its own admission. The Town and Manor describes a four-course meal with speeches and toasts, with tickets from Crown Needlework on the High Street. Check the release arrangements, price and availability before you make the meal the centrepiece of your trip; watching the court or bumping into the Tutti group in town won’t get you a place at lunch.

The official account also separates the earlier Ale Tasting from Tutti Day itself. That ceremony is about the traditional testing of local ale, not an open pub crawl for whoever happens to arrive. Check the dates and eligibility for each event.

On a shorter visit, take your own meal break around the things you most want to see, and save the formal lunch for another year if tickets have gone. The organiser lists the Three Swans among the day’s customary later activities, but check the new programme and the restaurant’s usual arrangements separately. And a historic mention of a particular treat isn’t a standing promise of free food for every visitor.

Make a day of it nearby

Hungerford Common brings the rights discussed at Hocktide to life in the landscape. The Town and Manor describes ancient permanent pasture, mature trees, the canal and strip lynchets east of the town, used for both recreation and grazing. A walk there puts the court’s business in context, no legal lesson required. Follow any current notices, and remember that land for public recreation is also land used by farmers and Commoners.

Freeman’s Marsh, to the west, shows another side of the same stewardship. It straddles the River Dun and the Kennet and Avon Canal and supports birds, plants and other wildlife, and its owner asks visitors to stay on the clearly marked paths to protect the environment. Make that your rule, however tempting a better photo angle might be.

Pick one landscape outing to suit the weather and the time you have. Neither description mentions a fully accessible circular route or a reliably dry path, so ask for suitable route information if those matter to your party. A gentle wander on the common or marsh after the ceremony links the day with the land it helps govern, while leaving the town’s everyday life plenty of room.

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.

• Calendar Customs: Hungerford Hocktide ↗
• Kennet Radio: Hocktide 2025 ↗
• Town and Manor: Hocktide ceremonies and luncheon ↗
• Town and Manor: Hungerford Common ↗
• Town and Manor: Freeman’s Marsh ↗