World Worm Charming Championships

What happens on the field

The organiser describes a 30-minute competition window without digging. Competitors work their plots before the worms are counted and a winner is announced. Willaston Primary Academy’s own information confirms the village’s connection with the championships. Read the current rules if you want to compete; watching is a separate way to experience the event.

The story behind it

Willaston's championship dates from 1980, when Tom Shufflebotham, a local farmer's son, is said to have charmed 511 worms out of the ground in half an hour. John Bailey, then deputy head of the village school, organised the contest and wrote its rules, under the splendidly named International Federation of Charming Worms and Allied Pastimes. There are 18 of them. Each competitor works a three-by-three-metre plot and may use only vibration or music to coax worms up: no digging, and no 'drugs', which includes water. Pushing a garden fork into the soil and waggling it is allowed. In 2009 ten-year-old Sophie Smith of Willaston set the record of 567 worms, and every worm is returned to the ground in the evening once the birds have gone to roost.

The date currently published

The fundraiser’s website still displays Saturday 13 June 2026. That date has passed. A booking button remaining on the page does not verify the next edition or mean that new plots are on sale. Wait for the organiser to publish a new date and update its booking information before arranging a dedicated trip.

Finding the right Willaston

The organiser identifies Willaston Primary Academy, Derwent Close, Willaston, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 6QQ. Use that full location when planning the journey, since an event name alone is not a reliable navigation destination. Event-day parking, public transport connections and walking directions have not been verified here.

Planning a spectator visit

Check whether spectators need admission tickets, how plots are allocated and which refreshments or facilities will be available. The 2026 running order describes an afternoon programme, but it should not determine your next arrival time. Ask about step-free access, toilets and seating before travelling if these affect your plans.

Taking part

Before your fork goes anywhere near the field, it pays to know the rules, because several of them are wonderfully specific. Plots are allocated by drawing lots, and competitors stay clear until they're told to head to them. Any garden fork must have its points covered while it's carried to and from the competition, and once you arrive it stays in your allocated plot. In other words, no wandering through the crowd with bare tines while you look for your friends.

There's also a job for anyone who would rather make the vibrations than touch a worm. The rules allow a helper, known as a Gillie, to do the collecting. Agree who's doing what beforehand, and ask the organisers how a Gillie fits the next entry process. Only worms from your own plot count, and they must be handled gently in the named container the committee supplies. A tie goes to a further short burst of charming. Knowing all this makes the contest easier to follow from the sidelines too: wait for the officials' word, and resist passing a struggling competitor a worm from next door.

Make a day of it nearby

Nantwich Museum tells the town's story through salt-making, shoes, the Civil War and more besides. It lives in a former library, general admission is free and the exhibitions change through the year. It normally opens Tuesday to Saturday, so if you're hoping to stretch a worm-charming weekend into Sunday, check its calendar first.

For something completely different, Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker sits underground near Nantwich. Its website describes rooms and equipment from regional emergency government, a nuclear-weapons display and a spy-mouse trail for children. Read the visitor and access information to judge whether the subject and setting suit your family, because a playful trail doesn't make every display light-hearted. Give either place its own slot in the day rather than cramming it between the school gates opening and a contest time borrowed from an old programme. Both are independent attractions with their own opening times and admission. They're good reasons to stay longer in Cheshire, though the championship's next date, tickets and timetable may not have been announced yet.

What to bring and wear

Pack for the job you're actually doing. Competitors need the equipment the current rules allow and a safe cover for any garden fork. The organisers supply the named collecting container, so ask before turning up with your own system. Leave any soil-stirring liquids at home: the rules ban stimulants and spell out that water counts. A trick that wins elsewhere isn't automatically allowed at Willaston.

Spectators should keep bags out of the plots and away from the paths people use to carry equipment. Wear clothes and shoes you'll be comfortable standing in beside an outdoor competition, and bring whatever you'll need for your own day rather than expecting a school event to provide it. If kneeling or handling a fork would be tricky, ask about the Gillie arrangement and access before you enter. It's a friendly event raising money for the school, but the rules still matter: the worms are meant to surface through ingenuity, not a loophole tucked in someone's rucksack.

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.

• School fundraiser organiser and venue details ↗
• Willaston Primary Academy event background ↗
• Wikipedia: Worm charming ↗
• School fundraiser:official rules ↗
• School fundraiser:date and venue ↗
• Nantwich Museum ↗
• Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker ↗