The story of Midsummer Fair

The solstice marks the start of summer, the longest day of the year, and the return of an annual tradition to the centre of Cambridge. Here's the story of how it started, and what to expect.

Once again, thousands of people will descend this week on Midsummer Common - an aptly named venue for the annual Midsummer fair. These days, it's populated by dodgems, thrill rides and candy floss - but it wasn't always that way!

Midsummer Fair, as far as anyone can establish and agree on, first started in 1211. It was granted to the prior and canons of Barnwell by King John, who allowed the Fair to be held over 4 days. For the next 300 years the Fair belonged to the Priory. Ownership of Midsummer Fair enabled the Priory to take advantage, financially and socially, of the midsummer celebrations under a respectable religious front. 

By 1538 and the dissolution of monasteries, the town took full control of the now annual event - hosted on Midsummer Common so goods and stalls could easily be loaded from the banks of the river.

The late 1700s came, and the event was becoming very well known for its sales of pottery - earning the fair the nickname 'Pot Fair'.

Pot fair, depicted in 1777.

By the mid 19th century. the fair was in decline but the introduction of steam-powered rides after 1870 brought greater excitement and larger crowds to the event.  By the early 20th Century, Midsummer Fair was very much about the thrill of the rides.

Midsummer Fair 1925 - Photographed by H.S Johnson.

In 1931, the council exercised its right to flexibility surrounding the event and ordered it to be hosted on Stourbridge Common. The showmen refused the venue, instead hiring the ground of Cambridge United (then Parker's Piece). However, to preserve the charter, one solitary stall was set up on Stourbridge Common selling Nougat. Everyone else was at Parker's Piece! The very next year, normal service had resumed on Midsummer Common.

Midsummer Fair, 1980.

In the year 2000 the Sunday exclusion was removed and the Fair was extended to 6 days in total.

Today, the mayor and other members of the council still continue the tradition of parading and proclaiming the fair open, whilst scattering pennies to the crowd.

The fair runs until Sunday 25th June.