Plea not to arrive too soon to Cumbria's Appleby Horse Fair
Appleby Horse Fair attendees have been asked not to arrive too soon ahead of the annual event.Now in its 249th year, the fair will see thousands of Gypsies and travellers pitch up in Westmorland, Cumbria, between 5 and 11 June.Fairgoers who bring trailers too soon can cause difficulties in the surrounding areas, particularly as stopping places are very limited, the Appleby Horse Fair Multi-Agency Strategic Co-ordinating Group (MASCG) said.MASCG Gypsy and traveller representative Billy Welch said the number of temporary stopping places was falling year-on-year.
The event is one of the largest gatherings in Europe for Gypsies and travellers and is centred around showing and trading horses.Mr Welch said: "Whilst there are bow tops who obviously have no choice but to set off early, most people do have the choice."Please think carefully about your travel plans prior to setting off and stay far out from Appleby prior to the fair."MASCG is chaired by Westmorland and Furness Council with support from representatives of the Gypsy and traveller community, Cumbria Police, the RSPCA, the Environment Agency and other agencies.Cumbria Police also warned that it would "not hesitate" to take action against dangerous driving behaviour and vehicles that were not roadworthy, including towing away vehicles.Det Supt Dan St Quintin, of Cumbria Police, said: "I make no apologies for this approach which we adopted last year and which helped contribute to one of the safest fairs in recent years for road safety."
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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'Nothing keeps them at bay..' Furious locals turn their villages into FORTRESSES as thousands of travellers descend for controversial Appleby Horse Fair with police already being forced to handcuff a 10-year-old boy
Villages are being turned into fortresses ahead of Europe's biggest gypsy gathering - but this year the chaos has already begun. Weary locals are used to the disruption and disorder that accompanies the annual Appleby Horse Fair, but are bracing themselves for trouble as, in some areas, the influx of an anticipated 10,000 travellers has started early. A special police task force has so far dealt with offences of burglary, criminal damage, racist abuse, knife crime and faced a torrent of criticism after finding it necessary to handcuff a 10-year-old boy. The surge in crime around quaint Kirkby Lonsdale in Cumbria is causing anxiety amongst locals because the fair isn't even due to start until Thursday June 5th. So far local sporting venue, Kirkby Lonsdale Cricket club has seen its pavilion smashed up, as no windows remain in the wooden structure. Residents of the historic town have also been threatened and intimidated. There has been petty vandalism at a campsite and a knife waved during a confrontation between locals and traveller children. All the complaints have led the police to the makeshift camp in a layby at the town's Devil's Bridge where dozens of caravans have congregated ahead of the fair in Appleby, which is 40 miles away. A field has been handed over by the town for the gypsies to graze their horses as a safety measure to make sure they aren't causing a hazard tethered on roadside verges. Locals say they have never seen so many Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) people descend on the town so early. And that may well be down to the successful clampdown in nearby Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria's Eden Valley. For years the town was the focus of the pre-fair gathering but in the recent past locals have fought back, closing down services and pubs and shutting off the places where travellers would usually set up camp. One Kirkby Lonsdale local told MailOnline: 'They seem to have descended on us this year and have come earlier and in bigger numbers than we have seen before. 'There have been problems caused by gypsy children in the town centre and closer to the camp they have set up in a layby.' And now the local cricket club, nestled in a picturesque setting, on the edge of the town has been left with no windows after the pavillion was smashed up. Cumbria Police say three 10-year-old boys - only just within the age of criminal responsibility - were arrested over the attack as part of the wider Appleby Fair policing operation. A cricket club spokesman raged against the 'mindless thuggery' and described the damage caused as 'heartbreaking.' The club posted on its social media channels: 'We have had serious vandalism and attempted vandalism at KLCC. 'So many people have worked hard to get the pavilion safe, and enjoyable for cricketers, Sedbergh School kids, our new ladies team, and all of our supporters. 'The clubhouse now just looks awful, with damage inside from a broken window from an attempt to break in, and now the boards we've had to put over all the windows. But travellers simply smashed down a fence and drove across the verge to occupy the site, leaving a trail of damage behind 'The stress this causes from absolute mindless thuggery, to no actual gain is heartbreaking for all involved. So if you do happen to be going past, and have a look at the eyesore of boarding, or see anyone trying to damage, please get in touch with us or the police. 'As always, we will come back from it, rebuild, and show strength as a club. Cumbria Police have been incredibly helpful, and have an investigation ongoing, hopefully we can find out who is causing us so much pain.' There were also problems at Woodclose Park caravan site where police investigated reports of criminal damage and the racial abuse of a security guard. It was reported that a group of traveller children had been abusive to staff and when asked to leave the park's reception set off fire extinguishers. A spokesman for the park said: 'The matter has been dealt with by the police.' In an earlier incident police detained and handcuffed two traveller children after a penknife was produced in front of a shocked local on a riverside path. The police action in the layby at Kirkby Lonsdale was captured on video by the boys' mother, showing one of her sons in tears tethered by the wrist to a policeman. The mum posted: 'Our boys were put in handcuffs on the basis of False allegations! Pure abuse of power and provoking behaviour! Bullying 10 year olds! 'You wouldn't see them doing this to anyone other community! And they wonder why our children are afraid of them, this could of been handled in a completely different manner!' A Cumbria Police spokesman said: 'Cumbria Police are aware of concerns being expressed on social media in response to the handcuffing and search of two boys at Kirkby Lonsdale. 'At around 11:30am on 22 May 2025 Cumbria Police received a call for service from a member of the public reporting a group of boys on the path by the River Lune one of whom threatened the caller with a penknife. 'Officers carried out a search in the area and located two boys based on the descriptions provided. 'Due to the report of a knife, the boys were handcuffed for their and officers safety while the searches were completed. A search was carried out and no knife located, and the handcuffs removed. Officers continue to engage with people in the area. 'Stop and search will be used as appropriate to ensure the safety of all communities as we work to ensure everyone has a safe Appleby Fair.' It is understood the family involved were asked to move on from Kirkby Lonsdale. An attempt by the town's business park to prevent travellers occupying their car park was made, with shipping containers placed at either end of the plot on the outskirts of the town, but ultimately failed. Travellers simply smashed down a fence and drove across the verge to occupy the site, leaving a trail of damage behind. Meanwhile nearby locals Kirkby Stephen is hoping the travelling will 'get the message' they're not welcome A local farmer said: 'You do everything you can to keep them at bay but they don't care, they'll take the law into their own hands and we have to clear it up when they're gone. 'Even if we hammered big posts into the ground to keep them out they'd just come along with a chainsaw, fell them and use the timber for firewood. 'I've had horses let into my fields of barley before. The horses got fed but the crop has been ruined.' At Devil's Bridge piles of rubbish and gas canisters were dumped at the roadside as some gypsies left to continue their journey towards Appleby. For the second year in a row every pub in Kirkby Stephen will close - some this weekend and some from Monday onwards - with only the community-owned sports and social club staying up to serve alcohol. Staves have been hammered deep into roadside verges with signs on making it clear that horses and caravans are not to park there. And if - as has happened in previous years - the staves are uprooted, deep trenches have been cut into the verges to make it impossible to park a caravan without the danger of tipping over. Railings along the high street have been covered by boards decorated with artwork by local kids so that horses can't be tied up along the busy A685 through the town. As one local put it: 'Kirkby Stephen is closed to travellers and we hope they're getting the message.' When it begins next week the event is expected to see 30,000 visitors roughly, 10,000 of them from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community. In its 250 year history the fair has only been cancelled twice, the first in 2001 during the foot and mouth outbreak and the second in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. The gathering is billed as the biggest traditional gypsy fair in Europe and has developed traditions that take place every year. Gypsy horses are washed in the River Eden in Appleby and trotted up and down the 'flashing lane' - a closed off rural road - before being haggled over and bought. There is a market on Jimmy Winter's Field with stalls selling everything from fashion to horse-related wares. The fair is held outside the town of Appleby, at the point where the old Roman Road crosses Long Marton Road, on Gallows Hill, which was named after the public hangings that were once carried out there. It was once thought the fair originated from a royal charter to the borough of Appleby from King James II of England in 1685, although more recent research has found the charter was cancelled before it was ever enacted. The gathering is sometimes known as 'the New Fair' because Appleby's medieval borough fair, held at Whitsuntide, ceased in 1885. The 'New Fair' began in 1775 for sheep and cattle drovers and horse dealers to sell their stock. By the 1900s it had evolved into a major Gypsy/Traveller event which brought families from across the UK and Europe.
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Dry weather concern for Appleby Horse Fair, warns RSPCA
A prolonged period of dry weather has prompted a "don't arrive too soon" message for this year's Appleby Horse Fair from the of Gypsies and travellers are expected to attend the annual event, which officially begins on 5 RSPCA said lack of rain had resulted in poor grazing on all routes into the town, and some smaller water springs and becks used for watering horses had dried up or been reduced to a some people arriving early, there is concern this is putting pressure on limited resources. Rob Melloy, RSPCA chief inspector, said: "There's a very real prospect that people may struggle to find adequate grazing and water supplies for their animals as the fair draws closer, with all the attendant animal welfare issues that that entails."Our clear message is please don't come early."We recognise that those travelling by horse and in horse-drawn bow tops do have to adopt a staged approach when coming to the fair, and in order to ensure that they have access to grazing and water, we ask that those with access to motorised vehicles show some consideration and delay their arrival until the starting date." He added: "It is the owner's responsibility to ensure their horses have adequate food and water."Because the grazing is so poor this year, people may need to consider bringing additional supplies with them." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Pembrokeshire Herald
23-05-2025
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Historic first as woman and layperson elected to lead major Welsh Christian denomination
A PROPOSED new 'traveller site' on the outskirts of a Pembrokeshire village, which has seen a petition of nearly 300 objections, has been refused by national park planners. The Authority has served an Enforcement Notice on the site, which requires its return to its previous condition. The scheme for the creation of one traveller site incorporating one static caravan, one touring caravan, day/utility room and ecological enhancements (partly retrospective) on land at Froghall Yard, Moreton Lane, Saundersfoot, was recommended for refusal at the May 21 meeting of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park's development management committee, having previously been deferred for a site visit by members. Nearly 300 people have signed a petition against the scheme and the objection to the site is also being shared by the village's community council. Around 50 people attended a recent meeting of the community council when members voted unanimously to object to the application by Dai Evans of Pontypool, through agents Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd. Saundersfoot Community Council has pointed out that the site is agricultural land, with no caravan or other use in over 30 years. There was also concern that the site – where two previous planning applications had been rejected – is overlooked from Incline Way above and cannot be screened. Members have said granting permission 'would be gross overdevelopment setting a precedent for development literally anywhere throughout the national park'. The community council's objection finished: 'The applicant lives in Pontypool and claims no connection to the area. There is no rationale as to why the applicant chose a site approximately 100 miles away from their home.' A supporting statement accompanying the application stated: 'The applicant belongs to a long-standing Romany Gypsy family and generations have lived a traditional and cultural lifestyle living in caravans all their lives. 'Mr Evans and his partner currently reside on an overcrowded Traveller site in Pontypool where living conditions are poor. They currently only live in rented accommodation and its brick and mortar and not in keeping with their cultural preference, as they prefer to live in a caravan.' It says Mr Evans and family have stayed in a touring caravan at the site during the summer months since the late 1980s when it was owned by another gypsy family, later purchased by Mr Evans in 2023, clearing and refurbishing the site. 'The application's aspirations are to continue his Gypsy culture and traditions residing in a caravan on site.' A park officer report recommending refusal says the applicant has accommodation and is not currently homeless, giving only moderate weight 'to the existing level of outstanding unmet need for Gypsy Traveller accommodation in Pembrokeshire,' adding: 'That level of need should be weighed against the likely impact of development on the National Park landscape and habitat in this area.' It says there has been 'significant site clearance undertaken prior to the submission of the application, and the impact on the landscape, biodiversity and ecosystem resilience has been assessed as negative,' with officers considering further caravan development 'would exceed landscape capacity'. Speaking at the meeting on behalf of local residents, Helen Williams questioned the need for the applicant to have a site in Saundersfoot when he lived in Pontypool, adding that residents did not recall any caravans on-site since 1993. Agent Andrew Vaughan-Harries said he had hoped the application, with a recently revised landscape plans offering additional landscape mitigation, could have been deferred. He said any refusal would give his client the option of either appealing or 'having a free go' for any amended future application. Mr Vaughan-Harries said that while Pembrokeshire was better than many authorities in the provision of traveller sites there was a need to deliver more. 'It's premature to make an application today but I still think this site has some merit. The applicant wants to go back to his traveller roots.' Saundersfoot councillor Chis Williams moved members support the officer recommendation of refusal, adding he supported Mr Vaughan-Harries call for more provision for traveller sites but stressed: 'however, I do not think this is the correct location.' Members backed the recommendation of refusal by 13 votes to two abstentions. Responding to the refusal after the meeting, Mr Vaughan-Harries said: 'To deliver Traveller sites is always a planning challenge but as discussed the essential need more sites is clearly there for the whole of Wales and Pembs. The opportunity of private sites also eases the burden on LPA's to fund traveller sites 'We respect that site is in PCNP, but there is a policy to still allow Traveller sites in their area subtext to criteria being met. 'The full impact on the ecology and visual impact was not completed by ourselves and applicant due to availability of suitable local surveyors and conflicts of interest. So it's likely we will resubmit to improve on the scheme and see if all ecology impacts can be mitigated even if it has to be off-site. This site has remnants of previous use and not a virgin greenfield site. 'I still feel the site can deliver a single traveller poach with up the date assessment and redesigning.'
