The Westbury Sheep Fair was an annual fair

Fair

A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...

 which took place on high ground at Westbury, Wiltshire

Westbury, Wiltshire

Westbury is a town and civil parish in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the Westbury White Horse.-Name:The most likely origin of the West- in Westbury is simply that the town is near the western edge of the county of Wiltshire, the bounds of which have been much the same...

, near the north-western corner of Salisbury Plain

Salisbury Plain

Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...

, for the sale of sheep. It was probably established in the mid 19th century and had come to an end by 1945.

History

The origins of the Westbury Sheep Fair are uncertain, but it was reported to be already a large annual event in the 1870s, when it was held on the first Tuesday in September. The main business at the fair was sheep and horse trading, but as with all rural fairs there were also a variety of other entertainments. The site of the fair was the downland

Downland

A downland is an area of open chalk hills. This term is especially used to describe the chalk countryside in southern England. Areas of downland are often referred to as Downs....

 adjacent to the Westbury White Horse

Westbury White Horse

The Westbury or Bratton White Horse is a hill figure on the escarpment of Salisbury Plain, approximately east of Westbury in England. Located on the edge of Bratton Downs and lying just below an Iron Age hill fort, it is the oldest of several white horses carved in Wiltshire...

, and important breeds traded included the Hampshire Down

Hampshire sheep

The Hampshire or Hampshire Down is a breed of sheep which originated around 1829 from a cross of Southdowns with the Old Hampshire breed, the Wiltshire Horn, and the Berkshire Nott, all horned, white-faced sheep — these were native to the open, untilled, hilly stretch of land known as the Hampshire...

, the Southdown

Southdown (sheep)

The Southdown is a small, dual purpose British sheep but is raised primarily for meat. The Southdown breed was originally bred by John Ellman of Glynde, near Lewes, East Sussex about 200 years ago. His work was continued by Jonas Webb of Babraham in Cambridgeshire who developed the larger animal...

, and in earlier days the Wiltshire Horn

Wiltshire Horn

The Wiltshire Horn is a breed of domestic sheep originally from Wiltshire in southern England raised for meat. The breed is unusual amongst native British breeds, for it has the unusual feature of moulting its short wool and hair coat naturally in spring, alleviating the need for shearing. They...

.

At one time, the fair rivalled a similar sheep fair held at Wilton

Wilton, Wiltshire

Wilton is a town in Wiltshire, , England, with a rich heritage dating back to the Anglo-Saxons. Today it is dwarfed by its larger and more famous neighbour, Salisbury, but still has a range of notable shops and attractions, including Wilton House.The confluence of the rivers Wylye and Nadder is at...

. The fair at Westbury benefited from the opening in 1853 of the Westbury railway station

Westbury railway station

Westbury railway station serves the town of Westbury, Wiltshire, England. The station is managed by First Great Western.The station is a major junction, serving the Reading to Plymouth Line with services to and from Penzance and London Paddington, the Wessex Main Line with services to and from...

 on the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway

Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway

The Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Great Western Railway at Chippenham in 'Wilts' with Weymouth in Dorset, England. Branches ran to Devizes, Bradford-on-Avon and Salisbury in Wiltshire, and to Radstock in Somerset. The majority of the line survives...

, and as Westbury became established as the junction of the Reading to Taunton line

Reading to Taunton line

The Reading to Taunton line also known as the Berks and Hants is a major branch of the Great Western Main Line that diverges at Reading, running to Cogload Junction near Taunton, where it joins the Bristol to Exeter line....

 with what is now the Wessex Main Line

Wessex Main Line

The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton. Diverging from this route is the Heart of Wessex Line from Westbury to Weymouth.- Places served :The places served are listed below.*Bristol*Keynsham*Oldfield Park*Bath...

, its transport links improved. However, the Wilton sheep fair also grew during the 19th century, with 40,000 sheep reported at it in 1883, this figure rising to some 95,000 in 1901.

By the end of the 19th century, it was noticed that the fair caused low attendance at local schools, including that at nearby Dilton Marsh

Dilton Marsh

Dilton Marsh is a village and parish in the County of Wiltshire, in the south west of England.-Location:Its closest town is Westbury, which lies due east of the village....

.

In the early 20th century, the fair began to decline, with only some 20,000 sheep passing through it every year, and in 1940, shortly after the beginning of the Second World War, the Land Utilisation Survey noted that "Westbury's Sheep Fair today handles less than 10,000 sheep". By 1945, the fair was no longer being held.