Bampton Charter Fair
NEXT FAIR: Thursday 27 October 2022
# Having received very positive feedback on the changes made to the Fair last year, before the massive downpour dampened things down a bit, the Fair Committee is looking to build on that success. #
2022: What is going to be happening!
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The Fair will officially start with the opening procession at 11.00am but most stalls will operate from 10.00am to 6.00pm. The food stalls and the live music will continue into the evening until 9.00pm.
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The street market will run along Brook Street as usual while the local producers will be based in the Riverside Hall car park. As in previous years, the ever-popular Craft Fair will be held in the church.
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The Food Court will again be centred on Newton Square which will also be home to the music stage where a number of live acts will play throughout the day and into the evening.
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The Kids Zone at the Riverside Hall proved to be very popular last year. The Punch & Judy show, Ozzy D the magician, Bubble Fairie and Marvellous Eventures are already booked to make a return this year.
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Street performers will be around the town and the Mummers will be putting on a number of performances during the day.
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The popular chicken auction (brought back in 2021) will be held again.
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We also hope that some Exmoor ponies will be making an appearance during the day.
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Rowland Fun Fair will also be in town at the Station Road car park.
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STREET MARKET, Crafts, Local Produce, and Trad Skills APPLICATION FORMS are now combined into one and are upated.
Bampton Fair existed even before King Henry III granted it a Royal Charter in 1258 and it is always held on the last Thursday of October. It is one of the oldest surviving Charter Fairs in the country.
For centuries, the fair mainly sold sheep and cattle and was the largest sheep fair in the South West of England. During the 1880's to the 1980's it evolved to become the famous Bampton Pony Fair trading in Exmoor ponies.
Today this traditional Devon fair continues to attract local producers of foods and livestock, crafts and traditional skills from Exmoor and its surrounding villages. The streets, church, pubs and venues of Bampton are filled to over flowing with market stalls, street entertainments and live music including craft workshops, demonstrations, and a funfair.
Podcast of interview about the 2017 Fair - here
Video of the 2012 Fair - available on YouTube (over 3000 views!) - here.
More Fair Entertainments videos - here
One hour long video on History of Bampton Charter Fair made to commemmorate the 750th anniversary - here
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