diff --git a/cassandra-release/cassandra-check-release.sh b/cassandra-release/cassandra-check-release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..1b4161c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cassandra-release/cassandra-check-release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Parameters
+# $1 release
+# $2 maven artefacts url (as specified in the vote email)
+#
+# Example use: `./cassandra-check-release.sh 4.0-beta3 https://repository.apache.org/content/repositories/orgapachecassandra-1224/org/apache/cassandra/cassandra-all/4.0-beta3/`
+#
+# This script is very basic and experimental. I beg of you to help improve it.
+#
+
+###################
+# prerequisites
+
+command -v wget >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo >&2 "wget needs to be installed"; exit 1; }
+command -v gpg >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo >&2 "gpg needs to be installed"; exit 1; }
+command -v sha1sum >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo >&2 "sha1sum needs to be installed"; exit 1; }
+command -v md5sum >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo >&2 "md5sum needs to be installed"; exit 1; }
+command -v sha256sum >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo >&2 "sha256sum needs to be installed"; exit 1; }
+command -v sha512sum >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo >&2 "sha512sum needs to be installed"; exit 1; }
+command -v tar >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo >&2 "tar needs to be installed"; exit 1; }
+command -v ant >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo >&2 "ant needs to be installed"; exit 1; }
+command -v timeout >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo >&2 "timeout needs to be installed"; exit 1; }
+command -v docker >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo >&2 "docker needs to be installed"; exit 1; }
+(docker info >/dev/null 2>&1) || { echo >&2 "docker needs to running"; exit 1; }
+(java -version 2>&1 | grep -q "1.8") || { echo >&2 "Java 8 must be used"; exit 1; }
+(java -version 2>&1 | grep -iq jdk ) || { echo >&2 "Java JDK must be used"; exit 1; }
+
+###################
+
+mkdir -p /tmp/$1
+cd /tmp/$1
+echo "Downloading KEYS"
+wget https://downloads.apache.org/cassandra/KEYS
+echo "Downloading $2"
+wget -Nqnd -e robots=off --recursive --no-parent $2
+echo "Downloading https://dist.apache.org/repos/dist/dev/cassandra/$1/"
+wget -Nqe robots=off --recursive --no-parent https://dist.apache.org/repos/dist/dev/cassandra/$1/
+
+echo
+echo "====== CHECK RESULTS ======"
+echo
+
+gpg --import KEYS
+
+for f in *.asc ; do gpg --verify $f ; done
+for f in *.pom *.jar *.asc ; do echo -n "sha1: " ; echo "$(cat $f.sha1) $f" | sha1sum -c ; echo -n "md5: " ; echo "$(cat $f.md5) $f" | md5sum -c ; done
+
+cd dist.apache.org/repos/dist/dev/cassandra/$1
+for f in *.asc ; do gpg --verify $f ; done
+for f in *.gz ; do echo -n "sha256: " ; echo "$(cat $f.sha256) $f" | sha256sum -c ; echo -n "sha512:" ; echo "$(cat $f.sha512) $f" | sha512sum -c ; done
+
+echo
+rm -fR apache-cassandra-$1-src
+tar -xjf apache-cassandra-$1-src.tar.gz
+pushd apache-cassandra-$1-src
+echo "Source build $(ant artifacts | grep '^BUILD ')"
+popd
+
+echo
+rm -fR apache-cassandra-$1
+tar -xjf apache-cassandra-$1-bin.tar.gz
+rm -f procfifo
+mkfifo procfifo
+timeout 30 apache-cassandra-$1/bin/cassandra -f 2>&1  >procfifo &
+PID=$!
+success=false
+while read LINE && ! $success ; do
+    if [[ $LINE =~ "Starting listening for CQL clients on" ]] ; then
+        echo "Binary artefact OK"
+        kill "$PID"
+        success=true
+    fi
+done < procfifo
+rm -f procfifo
+wait "$PID"
+if ! $success ; then
+    echo "Binary artefact FAILED"
+fi
+
+echo
+rm -f procfifo
+mkfifo procfifo
+docker run -i -v `pwd`/debian:/debian openjdk:8-jdk-slim-buster timeout 180 /bin/bash -c "( apt -qq update; apt -qq install -y python python3; dpkg --ignore-depends=java7-runtime --ignore-depends=java8-runtime -i debian/*.deb ) 2>/dev/null; CASSANDRA_CONF=file:///etc/cassandra/ HEAP_NEWSIZE=500m MAX_HEAP_SIZE=1g cassandra -R -f" 2>&1 >procfifo &
+PID=$!
+success=false
+while read LINE && ! $success ; do
+    if [[ $LINE =~ "Starting listening for CQL clients on" ]] ; then
+        echo "Debian package OK"
+        kill "$PID"
+        success=true
+    fi
+done < procfifo
+rm -f procfifo
+wait "$PID"
+if ! $success ; then
+    echo "Debian package FAILED"
+fi
+
+echo
+rm -f procfifo
+mkfifo procfifo
+docker run -i -v `pwd`/redhat:/redhat centos timeout 180 /bin/bash -c "( yum install -y java-1.8.0-openjdk ; rpm -i redhat/*.rpm ) 2>/dev/null; cassandra -R -f " 2>&1  >procfifo &
+PID=$!
+
+success=false
+while read LINE && ! $success ; do
+    if [[ $LINE =~ "Starting listening for CQL clients on" ]] ; then
+        echo "Redhat package OK"
+        kill "$PID"
+        success=true
+    fi
+done < procfifo
+rm -f procfifo
+wait "$PID"
+if ! $success ; then
+    echo "Redhat package FAILED"
+fi
+
+# Commented this out as it was just for my testing (when we don't have artefacts in staging). Directory structures I get are different to those the script seems to expect (e.g. I have .../redhat/311x/, script seems to expect .../311x/redhat).
+# wget -Nqe robots=off --recursive --no-parent https://downloads.apache.org/cassandra/redhat/311x/
+# wget https://downloads.apache.org/cassandra/KEYS
+# cd downloads.apache.org/cassandra/
+# mv redhat/311x/* redhat/ 
+mv KEYS redhat 
+
+echo
+rm -f procfifo
+mkfifo procfifo
+docker run -i -v `pwd`/redhat:/redhat centos timeout 180 /bin/bash -c "( rpm --import /redhat/KEYS; rpm -K /redhat/*.rpm);" 2>&1  >procfifo &
+PID=$!
+failed=false
+while read LINE; do 
+    if [[ $LINE =~ ".*digests SIGNATURES NOT OK" ]] ; then
+        echo "RPM verification error."
+        kill "$PID"; 
+        failed=true; 
+        break;
+    fi
+done < procfifo
+rm -f procfifo
+wait "$PID"
+if [[ $failed == false ]]; then
+    echo "RPMs verified correctly."
+fi
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cassandra-release/test-releases.sh b/cassandra-release/test-releases.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fad6fe88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cassandra-release/test-releases.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Purpose: Analyse all known releases and test that the installation instruction work as intended. Intended to be run on a regular basis to ensure that extant releases work.
+# Example use: `./test-releases.sh 
+# It would be ideal to find a way to auto-discover all known releases and test them. As is, this is stored in an array, below.
+
+
+RELEASES=(40x 311x 30x 22x)
+
+########################################################
+# Check Debian #########################################
+########################################################
+
+function test_deb() {
+    CASSANDRA_VER=$1
+    echo
+    echo "testing Cassandra version $CASSANDRA_VER"
+    COMMAND="(apt -qq update;
+        apt -qq install -y python python3 sudo curl gnupg;
+        mkdir -p /usr/share/man/man1
+        echo deb https://downloads.apache.org/cassandra/debian $CASSANDRA_VER main | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/cassandra.sources.list;
+        curl https://downloads.apache.org/cassandra/KEYS | sudo apt-key add -;
+        # sudo apt-key adv --keyserver pool.sks-keyservers.net --recv-key A278B781FE4B2BDA; 
+        sudo apt-get update;
+        sudo apt-get install -y cassandra) 2>/dev/null;
+        HEAP_NEWSIZE=500m MAX_HEAP_SIZE=1g cassandra -R -f
+        "
+    rm -f procfifo && mkfifo procfifo
+    docker run -i openjdk:8-jdk-slim-buster timeout 360 /bin/bash -c $COMMAND 2>&1 >procfifo &
+    PID=$!
+    success=false
+    while read LINE && ! $success ; do
+        if [[ $LINE =~ "Starting listening for CQL clients on" ]] ; then
+            echo "$CASSANDRA_VER Debian package OK"
+            kill "$PID"
+            success=true
+        fi
+    done < procfifo
+    rm -f procfifo
+    wait "$PID"
+    if ! $success ; then
+        echo "Debian package FAILED"
+    fi
+}
+
+for i in $RELEASES; do 
+  test_deb $i;
+done;
+
+
+#######################################################
+# Check RPMs ##########################################
+#######################################################
+
+function test_rpm() {
+    CASSANDRA_VER=$1
+    echo
+    echo "testing Cassandra version $CASSANDRA_VER"
+    # Heredoc is really ugly here and forces us to do terrible things with the indentation but I don't know how to make it nicer. Suggestions welcome.
+    COMMAND="( yum install -y java-1.8.0-openjdk ; 
+cat <<EOF > /etc/yum.repos.d/cassandra.repo
+[cassandra]
+name=Apache Cassandra
+baseurl=https://downloads.apache.org/cassandra/redhat/${CASSANDRA_VER}/
+gpgcheck=1
+repo_gpgcheck=1
+gpgkey=https://downloads.apache.org/cassandra/KEYS
+EOF
+cat /etc/yum.repos.d/cassandra.repo
+yum install -y cassandra;
+) 2>/dev/null;
+cassandra -R -f 
+"
+    rm -f procfifo && mkfifo procfifo
+    docker run -i centos timeout 360 /bin/bash -c $COMMAND 2>&1 >procfifo &
+    PID=$!
+    success=false
+    while read LINE && ! $success ; do
+        if [[ $LINE =~ "Starting listening for CQL clients on" ]] ; then
+            echo "$CASSANDRA_VER Debian package OK"
+            kill "$PID"
+            success=true
+        fi
+    done < procfifo
+
+    rm -f procfifo
+    wait "$PID"
+    if ! $success ; then
+        echo "$CASSANDRA_VER Redhat package FAILED"
+    fi
+}
+
+for i in $RELEASES; do 
+  test_rpm $i;
+done
\ No newline at end of file