Discover the historic markets and fairs of Bishops Lydeard, written as part of the Quantock Landscape Partnership Project
Markets and Fairs in Bishops Lydeard
Today, if you fancy setting up a market stall to sell your home-made jams, cakes, or macrame creations (yes mid-century design is still in!) you need to apply to the local council. You duly complete forms, pay required fees and hope your application is successful. Despite a relatively painless procedure it all seems a bit of a nuisance – why do I have to go through this rigmarole? Why is the council involved?
Skip back over 700 years to Bishops Lydeard in 1291. Edward I was on the throne, also known as Edward Longshanks. He was both a tall and busy Monarch, fighting the Scots, the Welsh the French, establishing parliament and putting law in place. However, he still had time to deal with local issues. On 7th June 1291 he gave his seal to a Charter which gave permission to the Bishop of Bath and Wells – Robert Burnell – for the people of Bishops Lydeard to hold a market and two fairs. The news would have taken days to filter down to the village, however the excitement must have been palpable. His Royal Highness knows about Bishops Lydeard, tucked away in rural Somerset and has given his blessing via the bishop – a hugely significant person who presided over all of Somerset.
What great news it must have been. The charter provided more details:
“The market to be held weekly on a Monday; a fair to be held yearly for six days, namely, the vigil [the eve of a religious day] the day and the morrow of the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary [8th September] and the three following days; and the other fair to be held yearly for six days, namely, the vigil, the day and the morrow of the feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary [25th March or Lady day] and the three following days.’
We do not have any further details on the festivities but feel assured the events will have run smoothly with such significant people overseeing proceedings – albeit from afar.
Information taken from T/PH/sro/103
