HUNDREDS of people gathered in Bampton to watch villagers pushing prams and downing half pints in an ancient festive tradition.

The Original Great Shirt Race, thought to date back centuries, is staged along a route featuring pubs and former pubs in the village, where the popular ITV period drama Downton Abbey was filmed.

The race, almost a mile long, was revived in 1953 by John Quick and has been a popular annual fixture ever since.

The contest involves teams of two people racing around the village in nightshirts, or other fancy dress, with one pushing the other in a truck, pram or ‘chariot’.

Each team has to drink a half pint in the seven pub destinations on the route.

This year, race starter John Buckingham used an air horn after surrendering the starter pistol to police because the Olympic .380 BBM was classified as a prohibited weapon.

The 59th race since the event was revived took place on Saturday and Don Rouse, 74, master of ceremonies, said: “The shirt race is a fantastic Oxfordshire tradition I think we got one of the best ever crowds on Saturday night.”

There were contests for primary and secondary school pupils, an adult race and, for the first time since 1975, a chariot race.

Mr Rouse, who lives in Lew, near Bampton, added: “The race starts outside the old people’s home in High Street and finishes outside the town hall in the market square.

“The first stop is the Morris Clown pub and the Talbot Hotel is the final stop.

“The adults drink beer but those taking part in the junior and intermediate races drink orange squash instead.”

Alice Shuttleworth, 10, and her friend Lydia Wannell, 10, took part in the junior race, dressed as hippies.

Alice’s mum Cath Shuttleworth, 40, of Chetwynd Mead, Bampton, who works as a teaching assistant at Bampton Primary School, said: “Alice and Lydia didn’t win their race but they had a great time.”

Former RAF Group Captain Mike Connor, 66, lives with his wife Gill at the former Jubilee pub in the market square.

He said: “We served about 70 people half pints and were happy to take part in this quaint tradition.”

Traditionally, the race was started by firing a 12-bore shotgun into the air, but police stopped the practice in 2000.

The junior race was won by Jacob Money and Charlie Gardener, while the intermediate race was won by Thomas Swift and Matt Barnet.

The adult race was won by Jacob Booty and Richard Stevens, while the chariot race was won by the Downton Abbey team.