Loughborough Market and Fair celebrate 800 years of history
Loughborough is celebrating a landmark year as its weekly market and annual fair mark 800 years since they were given the Royal seal of approval.
In 1221, a young King Henry III granted a Royal Charter to Hugh Despenser, the Lord of the manor, to hold a weekly Thursday market and an annual fair in Loughborough.
The market charter was granted exactly 800 years ago on January 22, 1221 and the charter for the fair a few days later.
Eight centuries later, the market and fair are operated by Charnwood Borough Council which is launching a year of celebrations to mark the 800th anniversary.
Cllr Jenny Bokor, lead member for Loughborough, said: “We are immensely proud of Loughborough Market and Loughborough Fair which have been an integral part of life in this town for 800 years.
“That is an amazing achievement and both the market and the fair are both still immensely popular, attracting tens of thousands of people.
“I am delighted to kickstart this year of celebration and while we may have to do things differently because of the Covid-19 restrictions, I can assure you that there will be lots going on throughout the year to mark this very special anniversary.”
Charnwood Borough Council is working with a range of partners including Leicestershire County Council, Loughborough Local Studies Volunteers and Loughborough Library on the anniversary year celebrations. Charnwood Museum, Loughborough Town Hall and Community Curators will also be involved.
Planned events and activities include:
- Commemorative lights will be installed in the town centre
- A plaque in the town centre will mark the 800-year-milestone
- The Our Market, Our Fair exhibition will feature at Charnwood Museum and Loughborough Library from July and will bring together historical records alongside personal modern-day connections to the market and fair
- A Loughborough Fair exhibition will be hosted at Loughborough Town Hall in the Autumn
- A series of features, photos and videos will capture the past, present and future of the market and fair and be shared on social media and other channels
- Opportunities to tell the stories of the current market traders and showmen, some of whom have families which have been at Loughborough for several generations
The Council will be looking at other ways to commemorate the 800th anniversary but some events and plans may depend on Covid-19 restrictions.
Back in 1221, markets and fairs needed a Royal Charter to operate. King Henry III was only nine at the time of granting the charters for the market and fair in Loughborough and he reaffirmed them in 1227.
Today, the weekly retail market is held on Thursdays and Saturdays and there’s also a vintage market on a Friday. There are also other specialist markets.
Loughborough Fair is held every November. Approximately 100 individual show people attend each year, presenting between them some 20 large rides and numerous children’s rides, games and novelty stalls and refreshments.
To keep to date with the latest news on the celebrations, please visit www.charnwood.gov.uk/marketandfair800
On Twitter, look out for the hashtag #LboroCharter800
For information on the Our Market, Our Fair project, visit https://www.communitycurators.co.uk/projects/market-800/