Two iconic Preston events submitted to UNESCO Living Heritage Scheme

Preston City Council has formally submitted expressions of interest to include two of the city’s most cherished traditions - Preston Guild and Preston Egg Rolling - within the UK’s UNESCO Living Heritage inventories.

Both events have been put forward as they form an inherent part of Preston’s history and future, perfectly encapsulating the concept of ‘Living Heritage.’ They are vibrant, community-driven cultural practices that have been passed down through generations and continue to be actively practised today.

The UK’s Living Heritage inventories aim to record a wide range of traditions so they can be valued, shared and protected. By submitting both Preston Guild and Egg Rolling, the City Council is contributing to this collective effort, opening doors to further support and recognition in the future. The submissions affirm these traditions as ongoing parts of Preston’s cultural life that are worthy of official acknowledgement.

Preston Guild

Dating back to 1179, Preston Guild celebrates the city’s first royal charter. Eyewitness accounts from 1682 and records spanning more than 520 years demonstrate its enduring heritage. Taking place once every 20 years, The Guild is a 12-month celebration centred on formal civic ceremonies and four traditional processions: trades, church, community, and torchlight.

Recognised as one of Britain’s oldest and rarest civic traditions, The Guild originated when King Henry II granted Preston its first royal charter, establishing a Guild Merchant to regulate trade and grant exclusive rights to local merchants and craftspeople.

The practice centres on Preston’s residents and involves a wide cross-section of the community, including The Guild Court, The Guild Mayor, hereditary Burgesses, local trades and craftspeople, schools, churches, community groups, marching bands, and thousands of volunteers. Tens of thousands of residents and visitors attend.

Held in the city centre, The Guild features grand street processions, civic ceremonies, and events in parks and public spaces. Since 1542, it has been staged every 20 years, or once a generation, making it exceptionally rare. The last full Guild took place in 2012, with the next scheduled for 2032.

A central and highly visible element of The Guild is its series of grand public processions. Procession-making plays a vital role in community participation, enabling local groups, schools, trades, churches, and voluntary organisations to contribute creatively. To maintain these skills between Guilds, Preston City Council established the annual Encounters Festival, ensuring that procession-making expertise continues to thrive.

Preston Egg Rolling

Preston Egg Rolling is a much-loved Easter tradition dating back to 1867. Each Easter Monday, thousands of families gather in Avenham & Miller Parks to roll eggs down the hills in Avenham Park, making it one of the city’s most cherished annual customs.

Preston Egg Rolling continues today and remains well-established and widely attended. While it has strong local roots, it attracts visitors from across Lancashire and the wider northwest, drawn by its novel and family-friendly nature.

Traditionally, participants rolled hard-boiled “pace eggs,” often dyed using onion skins, although today chocolate eggs are also widely used. The event also features Easter bonnet competitions, workshops, live entertainment, art workshops and community activities.

Preston City Council continues to play a central role in organising the annual celebration, ensuring it remains accessible, inclusive, and free for future generations.

Adrian Phillips, Chief Executive at Preston City Council said: “We are incredibly proud to submit Preston Guild and Preston Egg Rolling to the UK’s UNESCO Living Heritage inventories. These traditions are deeply rooted in our city’s history and demonstrates its living heritage. By putting these events forward, we are recognising their importance to Preston’s cultural identity and reaffirming our commitment to protecting and celebrating them for years to come.”