Turton fair returns after 50 years

2:15pm Thursday 15th May 2008

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TURTON Fair is set to be resurrected later this month, more than 50 years since the last one.

The origins of the event are unknown, although one of the earliest references is from 1789 when the poet Sheldrake stated that the fair was already well established and marked by a two-day holiday in the area.

By 1851 it was described as one of the most important fairs in Lancashire. It was not a show, but a naturally developing market and fair. Travellers came from a wide area and brought their horses.

After the railway line from Blackburn to Bolton was fully opened in 1848, special trains were organised, after the railway company gave an assurance to James Kay, the owner of Turton Tower, that no station would be built within 300 yards of his house and that a large ornamental bridge would be built to carry the continuation of his drive over the line.

It was probably a wise move since reports show that from the mid-1800s around 6,000 people attended! The throng included mill workers, who were given a two-day holiday from their looms.

The fair was held in Chapeltown, on the field next to St Bartholomews Chapel, the site of the present St Anne's church.

Stalls were also erected all along High Street. Householders sold from their doors and rented out space to traders.

Traditionally the fair was held on St Bartholomew's Day, August 24, but after the change to the Gregorian calendar it appears to have moved to September 4 and 5. The fair was so important in the lives of the local people that it is understood villagers recorded their date of birth in terms of weeks before or after the fair.

In the early 20th century the fair declined rapidly for many reasons - the railway made trips to the coast easier, while a steady imposition of controls and the licensing of beer led to the fair becoming less profitable for traders.

Organisers tried to move with the times and introduced fell racing and hounds, but to no avail.

The end came in 1936 and, although there was an attempt to revive the fair in the 1950s, it has not been held consistently since then.

• The Friends of Turton Tower will be staging the 2008 Turton Fair on Monday, May 26.