Barnet Fair is an annual horse and pleasure fair held near Mays Lane, Barnet, England, on the first Monday in September. [1]
The Fair takes place over three days starting on 4 September. It still operates under its royal Charter which is issued by Barnet council[ dubious – discuss ]. The focus in the present-day Fair is no longer on horses and other livestock; but it is rather a pleasure fair instead.
The fair began in 1588 when Queen Elizabeth I granted a charter to the Lord of the Manor of Barnet to hold a fair twice yearly, in addition to the weekly Barnet Market. [2] Originally held in June and October, Lord John Tomlinson changed the dates to April and September in 1758 for the reason of improving business. [2] From 1881, the April fair ceased. [2]
The focus of the fair was its livestock, with animals being brought from across the United Kingdom. [1] [2] In 1834, The Times reported that Barnet Fair was England's largest cattle market, with up to 40,000 animals on display. [2]
From the eighteenth century, the festivities also used to include horse racing, although these ceased in 1870 when the railway station was built on the ground in which they had been held. [1] [2]
In 1896, a film was made about Barnet Fair, entitled Barnet Horse Fair .
The term 'Barnet Fair', normally shortened to 'Barnet', has become rhyming slang for 'hair'. [3]
"Barnet Fair" is the name of a song by Steeleye Span.
Stow-on-the-Wold is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England, on top of an 800-foot hill at the junction of main roads through the Cotswolds, including the Fosse Way (A429), which is of Roman origin. The town was founded by Norman lords to absorb trade from the roads converging there. Fairs have been held by royal charter since 1330; a horse fair is still held on the edge of town nearest to Oddington in May and October each year.
The London Borough of Barnet is a local authority area on the northern outskirts of London. The borough was formed in 1965 from parts of the ceremonial counties of Middlesex and Hertfordshire. It is the second largest London borough by population with 389,344 inhabitants as of 2021, also making it the 17th largest district in England. The borough covers an area of 86.74 square kilometres (33 sq mi), the fourth highest of the 32 London boroughs, and has a population density of 45.8 people per hectare, which ranks it 25th.
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A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural towns with a hinterland of villages are still commonly called market towns, as sometimes reflected in their names.
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A fair is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of goods, products, and services, and often include competitions, exhibitions, and educational activities. Fairs can be thematic, focusing on specific industries or interests.
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The Appleby Horse Fair, previously known as Appleby New Fair, is an annual gathering of Romani people (Gypsies) and Travellers in Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria, England. The horse fair is held each year in early June, attracting roughly 10,000 Romani and Travellers, about 1,000 caravans, several hundred horse-drawn vehicles, and about 30,000 visitors.
Barnet may refer to:
The Livestock Conservancy, formerly known as the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) and prior to that, the American Minor Breeds Conservancy, is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting rare breeds, also known as "heritage breeds" of livestock. Founded in 1977, through the efforts of livestock breed enthusiasts concerned about the disappearance of many of the US's heritage livestock breeds, The Livestock Conservancy was the pioneer livestock preservation organization in the United States, and remains a leading organization in that field. It has initiated programs that have saved multiple breeds from extinction, and works closely with similar organizations in other countries, including Rare Breeds Canada. With 3,000 members, a staff of eleven and a 19-member board of directors, the organization has an operating budget of over a million dollars.
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Stow Fair was an English medieval fair inaugurated in 1233 and held at Stow Green Hill in Lincolnshire.
A charter fair in England is a street fair or market which was established by Royal Charter. Many charter fairs date back to the Middle Ages, with their heyday occurring during the 13th century. Originally, most charter fairs started as street markets but since the 19th century the trading aspect has been superseded by entertainment; many charter fairs are now the venue for travelling funfairs run by showmen.
Barnet Market is a weekly market held in High Barnet, in the London Borough of Barnet, Greater London.
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Media related to Barnet Fair at Wikimedia Commons