Gypsies washing horses in the River Eden at Appleby Horse Fair, Appleby in Westmoreland.


Appleby Fair has been held for certain since 1750, and probably for very much longer than that. It is held for one week every year from the first Thursday in June until the second Wednesday and is world famous, the largest Fair of its kind in Europe. It is an annual event attended by Romany and Irish families travelling to meet up with old friends, celebrate their music, history and folklore and conduct business - particularly buying and selling horses. Traditionally Gypsies and Travellers reside on Fair Hill (a field situated on the outskirts of the town) and trade horses, running them on public roads so they can display them to prospective purchasers. Young people wash the horses in the River Eden to get them ready to show to prospective buyers. In the evening Fair Hill glows, with campfires flickering among the horsedrawn carriages.


Size: 5120px × 3413px
Location: River Eden at Appleby, Appleby in Westmoreland, UK
Photo credit: © Park Dale / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: appleby, district, eden, folklore, gypses, gypsies, horse, horses, irish, lake, national, park, river, romany, travellers, washing