Barton Turf Adventure Centre has successfully hosted the North Norfolk Worm charming Championships for a number of years up to Covid.

Organised in conjunction with the Go Wild at Barton Turf event. Entries close at 1.00 pm and the event is scheduled to start at about 2 pm.

Entry fee to the Championship is £2.00 per team

Other activities on the day may include Boat trips on the Broad, Nature Walks, Natural Crafts, Café serving Lunches, Teas and Ice-creams (weather-permitting), Hook a duck, and Stalls.  See Broads Authority and BTAC websites.

The Rules

1. Each competitor/team to operate within in a marked 3 x 3 metre plot.
2. Allocated plots will be decided on the day by drawing lots 15 minutes before the start of the competition.
3. Duration of competition to be 40 minutes, starting at about 2pm.
4. Worms may not be dug from the ground. Vibrations to attract them may only be used.
5. No drugs to be used! Water is considered to be a stimulant and is limited to a maximum of 10 litres per plot and must be pure tap water.
6. Any form of music may be used to charm the worms out of the earth.
7. A garden fork of normal type may be stuck into the ground and vibrated by any manual means to encourage worms to the surface.
8. Garden forks to be suitably covered to prevent possible injury when being transported to and from the competition. No accidents please!
9. Competitors should bring all their own equipment.  They may leave his/her fork etc in an allocated plot on arrival.
10. A piece of wood, smooth or notched may be used to strike or ‘fiddle’ the handle of the garden fork to assist vibration.
11. Competitors who do not wish to handle worms may appoint a second to do so. The second shall be known as a ‘Gillie’.
12. Teams may have a maximum of 6 members.  At least one person must be on the plot at all times during the competition.  Other members may rotate but there must be no more than three people on the plot at any one time.
13. Each competitor/team may collect worms from his/her own plot only.
14. Worms to be handled carefully and collected in damp peat and placed in a suitable, named, container provided by the organising committee.
15. A bell will be rung about five minutes before the start of the competition.
16. Competitors to keep clear of competition plots until given the instruction “Get to your Plots”.
17. The competitor who ‘charms’ the most worms to be the winner.
18. In the event of a tie, the winner to be decided by a further five minutes charming.
19. Anyone breaking the rules will be disqualified
20. The Competition Organisers decision is final
21. Charmed worms will be released after the birds have gone to roost on the evening of the event.

Please get your entry form from the desk on arrival.  Closing time for entries is 1.30 pm on the day.  Extra help can be found on www.wormcharming.com

So good luck to everybody and we look forward to seeing you on the day

Questions about this event can be emailed to enquiries@btac-services.co.uk

How to get there (OS Map Ref TG356225, Postcode NR12 8AZ)

From Norwich, take the A1151 through Wroxham and Hoveton.
About 2 miles after leaving Hoveton, turn right onto an unclassified road signposted Neatishead and Barton Turf.

Go through Neatishead (beware: blind double bends!) over the bridge and take the first turning right (Hall Road), signposted Barton Turf.

On reaching Barton Turf, fork right beside the green, signposted “Staithe”, and continue straight on down Staithe Road.

The Barton Turf Adventure Centre Sailing Base is on the LEFT, behind a pair of double farm gates, about 75yds past Bittern Crescent.

If coming from the Northeast (Cromer, Holt, Stalham, Cats Common) follow the sign to Barton Turf and Pennygate however these roads are single track and too narrow for wide vehicles to negotiate easily.