Please click the Play button to listen to a brief audio clip about the history of the Appleby Horse Fair.
A Transcript is also available further down the page.
Historical Images
Photos provided by Bill Lloyd
Audio Transcript
The history and origin of Appleby Horse Fair has been the subject of much controversial debate. The Gypsies know from oral tradition that the Fair goes back at least 1000 years – possibly even to Roman times. Gypsies have been going to Appleby Fair since they arrived in this country 500 years ago.
In 1775 the Fair became too big, and it was moved to Gallows Hill (now known as Fair Hill), and it remained there until 1911. That fair included the sale of sheep and cattle, but for the Gypsies it was the Horse Fair.
In 1911, Lord Lowther, who owned the land, gave it to Appleby Council, and the Council decided to close Fair Hill, so when the Gypsies turned up, they were blocked from going on the hill, and they camped along the lanes. They stayed on the lanes until 1966, when the Council gave in and re-opened the hill once again.
As their nomadic lifestyle has become increasingly difficult, Appleby Fair has become a unique cultural and spiritual occasion for Gypsies and Travellers, as well as an attraction for tourists and sightseers from far and wide. It is the most important date in the Gypsy and Traveller calendar, it is literally sacred to them, culturally, spiritually and socially. It is our Jerusalem, and more important than Christmas, and the Gypsy people regard it as their heritage to be passed on to their children.
It is speculated that around 10,000 Gypsies and Travellers and 30,000 other visitors come to Appleby to celebrate the Horse Fair each year.
The Market Field opened in the 1990s, alongside Long Marton Road, which is known as the ‘Flashing Lane,’ where horses for sale are shown off to prospective buyers.
Charters
There has been a fair at Appleby for many centuries, as there was for many towns and cities in the land, including Brough Hill (chartered in 1330) and Yarm (chartered in 1216).
It is strongly believed by the gypsy community that in 1685 King James II decided to re-charter all the fairs to raise money. When he came to recharter Appleby Horse Fair it had become predominantly Gypsies and horses, so it was chartered as a Gypsy Horse Fair. In those days the fair was in the town, as it still is in Yarm. It spread from Battlebarrow down into the town, past the Grapes and the Sands as far as the Royal Oak.
About the Speaker: Billy Welch
Billy Welch is known as a ‘Shera Rom’ or ‘Head Gypsy.’ Each Gypsy family will have a ‘head man’ and in addition to being head of his own extended family, Billy Welch represents many other Gypsy families at Appleby Fair as the tenant of Fair Hill. Billy is a strong advocate for preserving the Romany Gypsy culture and supports various initiatives that promote cultural heritage for the benefit of future generations. He is a Gypsy and Traveller Representative on the Multi Agency Strategic Co-ordinating Group, (MASCG), which manages the public authorities’ response to the Fair.