Appleby Horse Fair

2009 dates Thurs 4th - Weds 10th June

main days Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Extensive information on Appleby Horse Fair available at www.applebyfair.org

Appleby Horse Fair is one of the largest in Europe and takes place early every June. It is held in a field commonly known as Fair Hill, less than a mile from the town centre.

The dates of the fair are determined by the second Wednesday in June which was once the main horse dealing day but is now a winding down day. Travellers are allowed onto the hill the previous Thursday and prior to this can be seen encamped in the surrounding area.

Appleby Fair is not formally organised but has developed over the years from an agricultural sale to a major cultural event for the travelling community. It is, however, overseen by a strategic group of district and county councils, Cumbria constabulary, the RSPCA and other statutory agencies, who aim to ensure the fair’s smooth running to provide a memorable event for visitors with minimal disruption for local residents.

Tourists usually start visiting from Thursday but the atmosphere really beings on Saturday. The main road from Appleby to Brampton is closed to allow sellers to display horses to potential buyers by trotting them back and forth along the roadway. Each day during the fair, horses are led down to the River Eden, near the town centre, to be washed and groomed ready for the day’s trading.

Of course horses are not the only commodity available for sale and for centuries other goods have been sold at the fair. There are at least a hundred stalls in the field next to Fair Hill selling saddlery, clothing, pottery, books, footwear and various souvenirs - most of these trading stalls are open from Friday morning until Sunday or Monday evening.
Appleby Fair is well worth a visit, there is no entrance fee and a whole day can easily be spent visiting the fair and exploring the town. Many visitors stay for a whole week and spend time exploring the surrounding Eden valley, England’s green and pleasant land.

When visiting the fair, we ask that you please bear in mind:

  • There will be horses on the road, and you have to be aware of where to walk along the access routes - use your eyes and ears! Follow police instructions as regards road closures.
  • Appleby gets very crowded - a town of 3000 is visited by up to fifty thousand on the busiest days so roads are very congested and shops busy.
  • It may well be wet, there is not much shelter in Appleby and Fair Hill can quickly become muddy. Be equipped for the weather and bring good walking shoes to walk up to a mile from a car park - high heels are not recommended.
  • Please don’t leave rubbish behind.

Printable leaflets to download:
Advice to visitors PDF, 355K - the first page is the same as this; Historic Guide PDF, 395K.
If you have any other enquiries please feel free to get in touch with Appleby Tourist Information Centre, tel 017683 51177