Widecombe Fair takes place annually on the second Tuesday in September, attracting thousands of visitors to the tiny Dartmoor

Dartmoor

Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...

 village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 of Widecombe-in-the-Moor

Widecombe-in-the-Moor

Widecombe-in-the-Moor is a small village located within the heart of the Dartmoor National Park in Devon, England. . The name is thought to derive from 'Withy-combe' which means Willow Valley....

. It is well known as the subject of the folk song of the same name, featuring Uncle Tom Cobley

Uncle Tom Cobley

The phrase Uncle Tom Cobley and all is used in British English as a humorous or whimsical way of saying et al., often to express exasperation at the large number of people in a list. The phrase comes from a Devon folk song "Widecombe Fair", collected by Sabine Baring-Gould...

 and his friends.

History

The earliest written record was in 1850, when it was described in the Plymouth Gazette as ‘a cattle fair’. It soon became an opportunity to show and sell other livestock

Livestock

Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...

 - particularly locally-bred sheep and Dartmoor ponies

Dartmoor pony

-External links:*...

, and by the 1920s it had also become a sports day for local schoolchildren. In 1933, stalls were introduced, selling rural arts and crafts.

Widecombe Fair was suspended during the Second World War, but reinstated in 1945 with new attractions, including a gymkhana

Gymkhana (equestrian)

Gymkhana is a term used in the United Kingdom, east coast of the United States, and other English-speaking nations to describe an equestrian event consisting of speed pattern racing and timed games for riders on horses...

 and tug of war

Tug of war

Tug of war, also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war or rope pulling, is a sport that directly pits two teams against each other in a test of strength. The term may also be used as a metaphor to describe a demonstration of brute strength by two opposing groups, such as a rivalry between two...

. All profits were donated to the 'Local Welcome Home Fund' for returning soldiers, sailors and airmen.

In 1989, it was decided to cancel the pony

Pony

A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...

 classes following an outbreak of Equine flu (these were replaced with terrier

Terrier

A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, very active and fearless dogs. Terrier breeds vary greatly in size from just a couple of pounds to over 70 pounds and are usually categorized by size or function...

 races, which have continued ever since). The Fair was cancelled altogether in 2001 due to the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease

2001 UK foot and mouth crisis

The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom in 2001 caused a crisis in British agriculture and tourism. This epizootic saw 2,000 cases of the disease in farms in most of the British countryside. Over 10 million sheep and cattle were killed in an eventually successful attempt to...

.

However, despite these interruptions, the event has steadily grown in size and reputation. In its earlier years, it was held in various locations around the village, including the village green

Village green

A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...

. Today, however, it occupies a large field to the south of Widecombe (known to locals as The Fair Field). Other fields become car parks, and a complex policing and marshalling system is put in place, with the narrow lanes transformed into a one-way road system.

Today's visitors will still see displays of quality livestock, although there are many other attractions, including: a dog

Dog

The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...

 show, displays of local produce, vintage farm machinery, rural arts and crafts, bale tossing and a now traditional appearance by Uncle Tom Cobley himself - featuring a local resident in fancy dress, riding a grey mare.

External links

• Widecombe Fair ...with old Uncle Tom Cobley and All! from official website
• Widecombe Fair from the BBC
  BBC
  The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
  
  's "Where I Live - Devon
  Devon
  Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
  
  " section