Appleby Horse Fair 2024: Everything you need to know and more

Appleby Horse Fair is set to make its annual return to Cumbria next week.

The 248-year-old fair attracts around 10,000 Gypsy, Traveller and Roma people and over 30,000 other visitors every year and will take place from Thursday June 6 to Wednesday June 12.

It’s an event that is billed as the biggest traditional Gypsy, Roma and Traveller fair in Europe, and is commonly likened to a large family gathering.

While the fair is not an organised event – there are plenty of traditional activities to watch, market stalls and more to visit over the weekend.

Most of the action takes place from Thursday to Sunday – but some festivities do continue until the Wednesday.

What happens at Appleby Horse Fair?

There is no set programme of events at the fair and no charge for attending – but there are several traditional activities visitors can spectate.

Gypsy, Traveller and Roma people come from across the UK and wider world to attend the fair – and bring with them their horses and traditional wagons.

The horses are washed in the River Eden in the centre of the town nearly every day of the event and are also trotted up and down the ‘flashing lane’ on most of the main fair days.

A market also takes place on the fields from Friday to Sunday where various different goods are sold including tools and hardware, clothing, china, horse goods and more, some of which are traditional to the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community.

Additional market stalls are also held in the Public Hall from Thursday to Sunday as well as in the market square in the town centre.

Fortune tellers and palm readers also attend the event and live music goes ahead. Horses are often still traded at the fair.

A coordinated welfare awards project – The Best At Appleby – also goes ahead each year, awarding horse owners for well looked after animals.

How long has the fair been around?

The fair first began in the 18^th century and is an annual event that is held each year over the first weekend of June.

It first started officially in 1775 as an event for sheep and cattle drovers and horse dealers to sell their stock.

By the 1900s it had evolved into the major Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller fair it is today, where horses are still traded, usually for money.

Where can I park?

There are several car parks in close proximity to the site of the fair.

There is free on-street parking in Appleby town centre for two or three hours and parking disks are available from most shops and the tourist information centre.

Other pay and display car park options include:

Broad Close
Appleby railway station
Appleby Castle
Appleby Grammar School (open Saturday and Sunday)
Fair Hill
Rotary car park
Uptop
Football Field
Long Marton Road
Bousfield
Holme Farm Field
The field next to Market Field on the opposite side of the flashing lane (Long Marton Road).

The average cost of parking in the temporary car parks in and around the site of the Fair is £10.00 per car, per day.

Some disabled parking spaces will be available adjacent to the Moot Hall in the centre of town. Disabled parking discs are valid for all on street parking in the centre of town.

Those wishing to park up closer to the field are asked to speak to police on duty.

Parking for coaches is available at:

Appleby Grammar School on Saturday and Sunday. To book a space, call 017683 51580.
Appleby Railway Station. To book a space, call 0791 368 1939.
Appleby Castle. To book a space, call 07593 661 7775.

How can I get there by public transport?

People are encouraged to attend the fair by train where possible.

Appleby station is a 10 minute walk to both the site of the fair and the town centre. The station is on the Settle to Carlisle line.

Bus services to Appleby during the weekend of the fair are limited and some of the scheduled bus services may not be running into the town.

People are asked to check with Appleby tourist information centre for up-to-date information nearer the time.

Will there be traffic management in place?

A traffic management plan will be in place as usual for this year’s fair – and will include some new safety measures.

It has been designed by the Multi Agency Coordinating Group in a bid to minimise the impact on the highways network during the various phases of the fair as well as maintaining safety for those visiting.

New measures for this year’s fair include:

A 30mph speed restriction in Appleby to reduce speeds in heavily pedestrianised areas
A one way traffic restriction on the Boroughgate side road in Appleby, restricting Southbound traffic
A prohibition of parking restriction is in place along the U3219 Murton
Bunding has been introduced as a trial on the verge along the A685 between Kirkby Stephen and Winton
A new footway and pedestrian guardrail has also been installed on the road known as the flashing lane
Temporary traffic calming measures will be introduced to address concerns raised by Police and RSPCA about excessive speeds of some horses and sulkies travelling to and from the centre of Appleby between Salt Tip Corner and the Station Road junction.
Restriction measures will be introduced at the Appleby Leisure Centre car park, maintaining residential access but preventing illegal overnight parking
Some of the posts at the side of Burrells Road have been removed to facilitate encampments that do not encroach on driver visibility, but posting has been installed around the bend, which is not a safe stopping place.
Signage on the A683 has also been improved to warn of slow-moving vehicles

Westmorland and Furness Council’s traffic management and TTRO team leader, Laura McClellan, said: “The improvement to this year’s traffic management plan address issues raised over previous years and are intended to make the highway safe for all its users during the fair.

“Following concerns about a lack of on-street enforcement at the 2022 fair, Westmorland and Furness Council reassessed their Civil Enforcement Patrols for the 2023 fair, which had a positive impact and we aim to continue this going forward.

“In addition to all the improvements, the 40mph speed restriction on Powis Lane and temporary road closure outside The Midland, from its junction with Clifford Street to its junction with Station Road, will be in operation again for the 2024 fair, both of these measures were introduced for the 2022 fair and were viewed to have been a success.

“A particular safety message we’re keen to promote at the fair is that pedestrians must not attempt to board, or jump from moving vehicles at any time.”

Will there be toilets?

Most of the car parks will have portaloos in them or nearby.

In the town there are public toilets in the entrance to the Public Hall and Broad Close car park.

There is a disabled toilet next to the tourist information centre and there are also plenty of portaloos down by the river in the town centre and up at the Market fields and on Fair Hill.

The Railway Station also has limited toilet facilities.

Where can I get cash out?

Cash machines can be accessed at the Post Office, Spar and Co-op in the town.

Should I bring my dog?

People are strongly discouraged from taking dogs to the fair.

The RSPCA and several other animal welfare charities attend the fair each year and strongly urge people to avoid bringing pets as horses can get ‘spooked’ by dogs and dogs can get trampled by horses.

In previous years the RSPCA has had problems with dog being left in cars/caravans/awnings, all of which can get hot on even cloudy days.

The temperature in enclosed spaces like these rises quickly, causing heatstroke and death.

The RSPCA is working with Cumbria Constabulary on a zero tolerance approach to this and where dogs are found in cars they will be removed.

Where they are found to be suffering or their needs not being met the RSPCA will seek to prosecute.

Selling dogs or birds at the fair is illegal and people are also strongly urged not to purchase them.

Are any safety measures in place for the fair?

Safety measures will be in place across all aspects of the fair – from traffic calming, to animal welfare, and policing.

The Multi-Agency Strategic Coordinating Group (MASCG) was established in 2008 to ensure agencies attending the event work together to share skills and knowledge to support the fair.

The group is chaired by Westmorland and Furness Council with support from representatives of the Gypsy and Traveller community, Cumbria Constabulary, the RSPCA, the Environment Agency and other agencies.

It has has established good working relationships with the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community as well as local residents in Appleby and the surrounding areas to improve the fair each year.

People are also being urged to avoid attempting to board, or jump from moving vehicles at any time.

Traffic calming for horses, improved signs and a new footway will all also be in place for this year’s Appleby Horse Fair thanks to £340,000-worth of funding.

What if I have concerns about a horse or other animal?

Nine animal welfare charities work together on the Appleby Horse Fair Equine Welfare Project – the RSPCA; Redwings Horse Sanctuary; Blue Cross; World Horse Welfare; Bransby Horses; The British Horse Society; The Donkey Sanctuary; Oak Tree Animals and The Horse Trust.

There will be over 70 people from the organisations at the fair.

RSPCA officers will be supported by the other charities at the event to help any animals who are sick, injured or whose needs are not being met.

There will be a vet station at Salt Tip Corner where assistance can be sought for any animal that needs it. The vet station will be staffed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 4pm.

With very few exceptions horses at or on their way to Appleby must be accompanied by their passport.

New rules introduced from 1 July 2009 mean that all horses born after that date must have a passport and microchip by 31 December in the year in which they are born, or 6 months after birth, whichever is the latest.

These rules apply to horses travelling from Northern Ireland, Eire or any other EU country.

If you sell a horse you must give the passport to the new owner at the time of sale.

Any horse found straying at the fair, or taken into possession by the police, may be difficult to return to its owner if they are unable to produce a passport or other document that may help to establish rightful possession.

Can I still book local accommodation?

Accommodation within walking distance can be very hard to find. Most accommodation is booked up for the following year when visitors leave.

Information on accommodation is available at:

Those wishing to camp on the Fair Hill with the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Community, are asked to speak to Billy Welch on 07552 653065, or Bill Lloyd on 07787 132287.

Where can I buy and drink alcohol?

The licensed premises in the Appleby and Kirkby Stephen areas who open prior to and during the fair have agreed to operate with restricted hours where premises will open at 12 midday, cease serving at 11pm and close at 11.30pm.

Off-licences have agreed to restrict their opening hours until 10pm daily during the period of the fair and will not sell beer or cider in glass bottles.

The off-licences are:

Spar at Murgatroyds Garage on North Road in Kirkby Stephen.
Spar on High Street in Kirkby Stephen.
Co-op on Redmayne Road in Kirkby Stephen.
Spar on Boroughgate in Appleby.
Co-op on the Sands in Appleby.

On-street drinking will only be allowed to take place on The Sands area of Appleby whilst there is a road closure in place from noon to 6pm.

The Sands is a large area and will provide a safe environment for those who wish to enjoy a drink purchased from the Grapes Inn.

Following the cleaning and reopening of the Sands, alcohol consumption will not be permitted in the street.

There will be no other areas where on street drinking will be permitted. Any licensed premises which have a beer garden will have a wall or a barrier to define the limit of the drinking areas.

If you do take your drink outside of the licensed area you may find that the licensed premises staff will request that you return to the licensed area.

A Public Spaces Protection Order was introduced in 2018 by the local authority covering Penrith, Alston, Kirkby Stephen and Appleby which allows the police to deal with street drinking likely to cause anti-social behaviour.

People are asked to be aware that those who try to consume alcohol outside of licensed areas may have their alcohol confiscated by the police.