4 days ago
Near record turnout at Appleby Horse Fair despite poor weather over the weekend
The Chair of the Appleby Horse Fair Multi-Agency Strategic Coordinating Group (MASCG) has said she is 'pleased' that this year's fair passed without 'major incident.'
Appleby Horse Fair 2025 was one of the busiest in recent years, with the number of caravans and bowtops in attendance up on last year, despite poor weather with heavy downpours and brisk winds.
Last year saw 1,287 bowtops and caravans recorded at the Fair. However, this year's count of 1,307 is just below the high of 1,318, recorded in 2014.
Drones were again used at this year's fair, ensuring more accurate counting of bowtops and caravans than was possible in previous years, when the count was conducted on the ground, by eye.
The 2025 figures saw a drop in the number of traditional bowtops to 95, down from 112 in 2024.
There were 1,152 caravans, up from 1,078 in 2024, 46 tents and a further six vans, or wagons used as accommodation.
There was drop in the number of stalls at the 2025 Fair. Overall stall numbers were at 231, including 25 food stalls, which was down on the 268 recorded in 2024 and well below the 2016 record high of 276.
A van caught fire on June 7 at the fair but no one was injured and police are not treating it as suspicious.
A van that accidentally caught fire is surrounded by rubbish left in a field at the end of the Appleby Horse Fair (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire) Chair of the Appleby Horse Fair Multi-Agency Strategic Coordinating Group (MASCG) and Westmorland and Furness Council's Director of Thriving Communities, Steph Cordon, said: 'With poor weather forecast over the weekend of the Fair, which also coincided with the Epsom Derby, we did wonder if caravan and bowtop numbers might be lower this year.
'An initial reading of the count would suggest otherwise, but the recording of vehicles at the Fair is now much more accurate using drone technology, so comparisons to previous years is not necessarily a helpful barometer.
'I'm pleased that this year's Fair has passed without any major incidents and I'd like to thank everyone involved in the response to the Fair, for their hard work and dedication in making sure that this was the case.
'I'm particularly grateful for the brilliant job officers from across Westmorland and Furness Council have done, working in lock-step with colleagues from all the agencies involved in the MASCG, to ensure the Fair has been as safe and as clean and tidy as possible.
'There has been a particular focus on community engagement ahead of the 2025 Fair and a number of improvements were in place, as result of the feedback we received from residents.
'This has included maintaining the barriers on the leisure centre car park to provide dedicated parking spaces for residents, temporary traffic calming measures and improved signage.
'We have also provided 62 additional litterbins, an increase of 10 on last year and 75 temporary toilets and two multi-use urinals, an increase of nine and one, respectively on last year's provision.
'Cleaning and street sweeping teams have also worked exceptionally hard to keep the streets looking clean and tidy throughout the Fair and Trading Standards officers, in a joint operation with Cumbria Police, also seized unsafe counterfeit goods on sale at the Fair.'
People will have a further opportunity to provide feedback on the 2025 Fair at the Post-Fair Public Drop In event, hosted by representatives from the MASCG, which will be held at Appleby Public Hall on Monday, June 23, between 5pm and 8pm.
Gypsy and Traveller representative Billy Welch, a member of the Multi Agency Co-ordinating Group (MASCG), said: 'It's been an absolutely wonderful fair.
"Everyone has enjoyed it and everything went like clockwork from the MASCG and from the police.
'Everybody is saying they had a really good time and the police and the MASCG did a brilliant job.
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'We had the rough weather on Saturday, but it's only one day so didn't spoil it. We've had far worse weather so it did not spoil anything.
'We're already looking forward to next year's fair – starting the planning and looking at what can be tweaked and improved.
"I just want to thank everyone - we're really grateful – and wish everyone a safe journey home.'
