A personal account of time at the Horse Fair

Bridge St. Horses walking free

Fair in Market Square, held at Horse Fair time

A fair was held in the Market Square at the same time as the Horse Fair. The square is filled with stalls which continue on down High Street. The sign 'Robinson Cheap Butcher' can be seen in the square.

The fair stalls on the north side of the town hall

Horse fair and fun fair seen outside the west side of the Market Square. It would also have filled the Market Square. The Inn at the top left of the photograph is the Lamb, known by locals as The Tree because of the large Ash tree growing outside it. The Inn was completely demolished in 1960 to make way for building the Market Square Garage. The sign for the Talbot hotel shows the landlord to be W Norman. Almost every man wears a hat.

The annual horse fair in Bampton. These horses are in Church Street. Note that both men and women wore hats and ladies' clothes were generally down to their ankles.

Horse fair in Church View

Horses on Church Green. Men with white flags kept the horses under control. A strip of white rag was tied on the tail of a horse when it was sold. In later years, a white sticker was stuck to their rumps. Note the temporary railing in front of Church Gate house. Ladies and children stayed safe in the churchyard while they watched proceedings.

Horse Fair on Church Green in the rain. Horses sold on the green were considered suitable to be pit ponies and the Welsh miners knew to come to this part of Bampton for the pit ponies. The Plain tree just right of centre is now a huge tree (2014).