Local history

In 1258, Henry III granted Bampton its Royal Charter - legend has it that the king wanted a share in the town's hugely successful annual fair.

The fair was already well established even then, and it grew and grew over the centuries to become one of the best known in the south of England - quite a feat when you consider the town's isolated location on the southern fringe of Exmoor.

The year 2008 marks the 750th anniversary of the Bampton Charter Fair, and this proud achievement is marked with the release of a book and a DVD.

The DVD has its premiere at the 750th charter fair on 30 October 2008, and it features some wonderful old photographs.

Bampton Fair, circa 1897

Humphrey Berridge, who manages the Bampton Fair website, says the event has a remarkable history: "It's amazing, the fair seems to have run continuously since 1258.

"There doesn't seem to have been a break at all, not even during the wars.

"This is one of the oldest surviving charter fairs in the country, and in fact, there was a period from about 1850 when the fair was known throughout the land.

"It supported the rural community, and it still does.

"We have a population of about 1,600, but on fair days there are many more people in the town than that."

In the early days, the fair mainly sold sheep and cattle, but it later became important for its pony sales. The fair is always held on the final Thursday in October.

A sketch of the fair in 1860

In recent years, the event has attracted Heritage Lottery funding and has been rejuvenated. There are pony sales, chicken sales, and rare breed sheep, as well as street entertainment.

Since 2000, material has been gathered for the anniversary book and DVD.

"We've tried to collect as much as possible," said Humphrey. "We've got some lovely old pictures going back to the 1860s.

"The DVD also has about a dozen drawings by an artist, Eve Grosse, depicting the fair, and we used people's memories to help tell the story.

"So it has been a community effort."

The 750th Bampton Charter Fair is on Thursday 30 October, and both roads will be closed for the event. There will be thousands of stalls as well as the animal sales.

After the fair, there will be a procession from the town to the motte base of the old castle, where there will be a marquee and fireworks.

For more about the fair and about the DVD and book, visit the fair's website which is linked from this page.