Wednesday, 27 July 2011

Fairs and Markets

Fairs were an essential part of medieval life- people would trade in everyday goods such as bread and ale which were strictly controlled commodities .

They would also trade in spices and luxuries from around the known world. 

One of the largest fairs in medieval Sherwood Forest was held annually at Lenton Priory- the largest and wealthiest religious house in Nottinghamshire.

The oldest surviving fair is Goose Fair.

The first reference to what would become goose fair comes from a charter of 1284- permiting an 8 day fair in the town of Nottingham around the feast of St Matthew.

Goose fair is still held annually in Nottingham- and is now the largest travelling fair ground in Europe

(more to come on fairs, markets and trading in Sherwood Forest , and about the Priory of Lenton and the religious houses of Sherwood Forest soon)

No comments:

Post a Comment