The Hampshire Family Historian | Volume 50 No.2 | Sept 2023

Local Group Programmes

Contact: Margaret on 07824 779037 E-mail: andover@hgs-online.org.uk

Andover Meetings are normally held on the second Thursday, September to July, commencing 7.30p.m. at The Fairground Hall, Weyhill, Andover SP11 0QN Reports by Richard Backhouse (February) History of Weyhill Fair –Tony Raper

Tony is an authority on Weyhill Fair, having written books about it and appeared on television. The Andover HGS group meets in the Weyhill Fairground Hall, so this talk was all about the exact area where we were assembled! Weyhill village is historically located at the intersection of several major but primitive roads – the Harrow Way (E-W), the Gold Road (N-S) and local stretches of Portway and Icknield Ways. As a result, it was perfectly placed for farmers and tradesmen to meet and do business. In 1226, Henry III had insisted that pigs be bought at Weyhill and, in 1554, Queen Elizabeth I wrote a letter to Lord Cecil stating there had been a market at ‘Wace Hill’ for over 400 years. At its height, the fair, which only lasted for 10 days each year at Michelmas in September, attracted up to 30,000 people. It is thought that about 400,000 sheep were sold, so it must have been quite a sight - and smell. Sheep were walked to market by drovers using ancient tracks. A Horse Fair and ‘Beast’ Fair also evolved. The hop growers from Farnham used to occupy the entire area that we now know as the walled Weyhill Fairground. Cheeses were also sold. In the medieval period, mummers’ plays and bear baiting were added attractions. There were links to Chaucer and Thomas Hardy, who developed characters for stories. It was possible to buy almost anything at the fair and particular areas were set aside for general traders. A Weights and Measures group ensured fairness when disputes arose. Gingerbread was sold in great quantities. A ‘Mop’ fair enabled labourers to secure work for a year - they would display tools of their professions and be selected by perspective employers. The local pubs did good business and provided some accommodation. Songs were sung and much beer was consumed, often through ceremonies like the ‘Horning of the Colts’. In more recent times, a circus and a pleasure fair with carousels, shooting galleries and boxing booths were added as general attractions. Going into the 20th century, there was a temporary police station and a NatWest bank on site. A train station, with a huge sidings area, was built but the burgeoning rail network changed the dynamics of trading, ironically bypassing the fairground as trade could be done directly. WW1 had a huge effect on trade as animals became scarce. Some land was later sold and by 1930, with droving now outdated, the number of sheep sold was just 5,000. The last fair was held in 1959 and several attempts to revive it failed. Many of the buildings used fell into disrepair and were sadly, demolished in 1989 by a local builder who used them for storage. Only one original booth exists and is now a listed building.

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