The Devon and Cornwall Wrestling Society was a significant sporting organisation that was founded in 1752, and operated through to the 1870s, primarily centred on London venues. The Society represented the institutionalisation of Westcountry Wrestling traditions within the commercial sporting landscape of Victorian London, offering substantial prize money and establishing formal governance structures that distinguished […]
The following is an shortened and edited exerpt from our upcoming research into the history of Devon Wrestling: ‘Devon Wrestling: Archives of a Combat Sport (1800-1950)’. This study provides a modern reader a detailed understanding of the following factors of the sport: Early Period (1800-1827): Rise of county styles Date Location Participants Prizes Winner Citation […]
Featured image: The Wrestling ring ready for competition In an age when digital activities tend to be more popular than physical ones, it’s becoming more important to one’s mental and physical health to take part in activities in the real-world. A common phrase is the need to get some grass between the toes, figuratively meaning […]
Think Devonshire wrestling is dead? Think again! A new project, The Devonshire Wrestling Society, is bringing back this once legendary sport. With proper rules, organization, and a revival of tradition, it aims to preserve a lost piece of English heritage. Would you watch (or even try) this traditional combat sport? 🤼💥 #BringItBack #DevonWrestling #RevivingTradition
In 1826, Devonshire wrestling champions earned prize money that outmatched a year’s wages for most workers. 🥇 First place: £50 (today’s equivalent of £6,500!)🥈 Second place: £40 (about £5,200 today)🥉 Even sixth place got £5 (around £650 in modern money). Side bets? Worth three years’ wages! 😲 Would you take a shin-kicking for that kind […]
Featured image: A painting of the Polkinghorne-Cann match on 26th October 1826. In the early to mid-19th century, Devonshire wrestling emerged as one of England’s most prestigious combat sports, characterised by its unique style, substantial prize purses, and legendary champions. The sport’s golden age, roughly spanning from 1800 to 1830, saw wrestling matches drawing tens […]
Welcome to the dynamic, fun and exciting sport and martial art of Devonshire and Cornish Wrestling. We’re gearing up to provide a website fit for the sport, and to introduce it to the world beyond the Westcountry.