The Feathers Inn at Hedley on the Hill hosted the annual barrel race on Monday, April 6, just a day after power cuts and disruption hit the village, with runners enjoying perfect conditions and setting the fastest times in the race’s history.
The ‘devastating impact’ of Storm Dave on the community left residents and The Feathers Inn without power on Easter Sunday, but spirits were lifted as the next day’s barrel race saw record-breaking times.
The extreme weather of the previous day gave way to the best racing conditions in the event’s history. With dry ground, bright sunshine, and a rare absence of wind, teams of three tackled the gruelling uphill mile, ending at the village pub. The perfect weather translated directly into the fastest times ever recorded for the event.
History was made in the adult category as Team 7, consisting of Chris McClymont, Mark Wilson, and Dan Milton, stormed across the finish line in a blistering six minutes and 44 seconds. This time officially sets a new world record for the Hedley Barrel Race, proving that the calm after the storm was truly lightning-fast.
However, the headline story of the day came from the youth category. The junior competitors managed to outpace the fastest adults, with Team Splash – Fred Carr (15), Martha Carr (13), and Arthur Byrne (15) – crossing the line in an incredible six minutes and 35 seconds, the fastest overall time of the day.
The women’s category was dominated by Maria Catteral, Lyndsey Smith, and Sarah Batsford. Not only did they secure the winning women’s title with a time of eight minutes and 19 seconds, but they also finished as the second adult team overall. Their performance was doubly celebrated as they also took home the prize for Best Fancy Dress.
Away from the hill, the traditional Easter competition continued with the Egg Jarping championships. This year’s title was claimed by 10-year-old Millie Smith, who beat out the competition to be crowned the 2026 winner.
Helen Cradock, pub landlady, said that after the ‘horrendous’ power outages of Easter Sunday, the ‘community spirit and record-breaking turnout on Monday provided a much-needed boost for the village’.
The Feathers Inn is ranked in the top 100 pubs in the UK by the Good Food Guide.
The event raised funds for North of Tyne Mountain Rescue, and Dunmail Hodkinson of the Mountain Rescue Team awarded the prizes.
