Appleby Horse Fair
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Appleby Horse Fair is a horse fair which is held annually at Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria (until 1974 Westmorland) in England, United Kingdom.
It is held every year in early June and has taken place since the reign of James II, who granted a Royal charter allowing a horse fair, "near to the River Eden". Since then, hundreds of Gypsies and Travellers have converged to buy and sell horses, meet with friends and relations and to celebrate their music, history and folklore.
The fair is one of the oldest horse fairs in Britain. The fair is held outside of the town on what once Gallows Hill named for the public hangings that once occurred there, and which is now known as Fair Hill.
The fair customarily ends on the second Wednesday in June. Besides the horses, there are also fortune tellers, palm readers and horse-related merchandise.
