Modern times
By the 20th century, the sale of livestock at fairs had dwindled. In 1928, sheep and cattle were only sold on the Ringing Day fair. The pleasure part of the fair, however, had gained great popularity. These funfairs were held on Saturday Market. As the fairground equipment became larger and heavier and the use of the motor vehicle became more widespread, Saturday Market place was no longer suitable for the purpose.
On 8 September 1958, Minute 581 of the Beverley Town Council states: “It was noted that the agreement between BTC and John Farrar and Joseph Shaw to hold four fairs a year on the Market Place expired after Midsummer Fair 1959”.
On 27 October (Minute 694), “It was resolved that the fair should be removed from the Market Place.” On 7 September 1959, the Town Clerk reported that Mr John Farrar and Joseph Shaw had accepted terms offered for use of space for the four fairs commencing with the October fair.
The fair was held four times a year on Morton Lane car park, which also housed the Town’s coach park. In 2002, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, against the wishes of a large number of the residents sold the Morton Lane car park to Tesco, leaving the Town with nowhere to hold the fair.
The council offered space on the Westwood to hold the fair but the organisers together with the solicitors of The Showmen’s Guild demanded that they were allocated a site ‘within the walls of Beverley’ stating that The Royal Charter gave them that right.
In 2003, the Beverley Town Fair was, once again sited in the centre of the town on Saturday Market.
The fair is now limited to one week a year starting on August Bank Holiday Sunday.
A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as industry, commerce, and trade have existed. In 16th-century Europe, two different terms for merchants emerged: meerseniers referred to local traders and koopman referred to merchants who operated on a global stage, importing and exporting goods over vast distances and offering added-value services such as credit and finance.
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 the town in May and October each year.
Beverley is a market, minster town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, of which it is the county town. The centre of the town is located 27 miles (43 km) south-east of the centre of York and 15 miles (24 km) north-west of the centre of Kingston upon Hull. The town is known for Beverley Minster, Beverley Westwood, North Bar and Beverley Racecourse. It inspired the naming of the city of Beverly, Massachusetts, which in turn was the impetus for Beverly Hills, California.
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.
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county in Northern England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to the south-west, and Lincolnshire to the south. It is also a non-metropolitan county for local government purposes. The coastal towns of Bridlington and Hornsea are popular with tourists from inland areas, and the port city of Kingston upon Hull is an economic, transport and tourism centre which also receives much sea freight from around the world. The current East Riding of Yorkshire came into existence in 1996 after the abolition of the County of Humberside. The county's administration is in the ancient market town of Beverley. The landscape is mainly rural, consisting of rolling hills, valleys and flat plains with many small villages and some towns scattered amid the Yorkshire Wolds. Major settlements include Kingston upon Hull, Beverley, Bridlington and Goole. At the 2011 United Kingdom census, its population was 334,179.
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Whixley is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is near the A1(M) motorway and 10 miles (16 km) west of York. The ancient village of Whixley lies on Rudgate, the old Roman road along which the Roman “Hispania” Legion would have marched to nearby Isurium (Aldborough).
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The York–Beverley line was a railway line between York, Market Weighton and Beverley in Yorkshire, England. The line was sanctioned in 1846 and the first part, the York to Market Weighton Line opened in 1847. Construction of the second part to Beverley was delayed for 17 years in part by the downfall of George Hudson, and a less favourable financial environment following the collapse of the 1840s railway bubble; the North Eastern Railway revived and completed the scheme in the 1860s; the Market Weighton to Beverley Line opened in 1865.
Stow Fair was an English medieval fair inaugurated in 1233. The Prior of Sempringham was granted permission in 1268 to hold this annual fair, from 23 to 25 June, confirming an earlier charter. The fair continued until living memory, being run as a horse fair until 1954.
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 Fair is an annual horse and pleasure fair held near Mays Lane, Barnet, England, on the first Monday in September.
Beverley Bar or Beverley North Bar is a 15th-century gate situated in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is designated a Grade I listed building and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England. The bar is located between North Bar Without and North Bar Within, close to Beverley St Mary's and abuts buildings on either side. Traffic is limited to single file through the bar arch and controlled by a set of lights.
The Statutes Fair is an amusements fair held in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire in England. It is held annually on the first Monday and Tuesday after Michaelmas. The fair has been held since 1219 but, despite its name, no statute allowing for it has been found. The event was originally a hiring fair, with employers giving a symbolic shilling to employees contracted for the following year. Amusement stalls began as a means of persuading the employees to spend their shillings. The event is now entirely an amusements fair. It has survived several attempts at abolition and ran, in a reduced form, through the Second World War and COVID-19 pandemic.
St Albans Charter Market is an outdoor street market in the cathedral city and market town of St Albans. The market runs from Market Place North-East up St Peter's Street to the junction with Catherine Street and is managed by St Albans City and District Council.
