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Stourbridge Fair
Stourbridge fair was an annual fair held on Stourbridge Common in Cambridge, England. At its peak it was the largest fair in Europe and was the inspiration for Bunyan's "Vanity Fair". The fair was one of four important medieval fairs held in Cambridge: Garlic Fair, Reach Fair, Midsummer Fair and Stourbridge Fair. History Origins In 1199, King John granted the Leper Chapel at ''Steresbrigge'' in Cambridge dispensation to hold a three-day fair to raise money to support the lepers. The first such fair was held in 1211 around the Feast of the Holy Cross (14 September) on the open land of Stourbridge Common alongside the River Cam. The fair's location, with the river allowing barges to travel up the Cam from The Wash, and near an important road leading to Newmarket, meant that the fair was accessible to a large population. Despite its proximity to Cambridge, the charter prohibited anyone from imposing taxes on the commerce there. During its history the fair was variously spe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abbey House, Cambridge
Abbey House or Old Abbey House is a 17th-century house on the corner of Beche Road and Abbey Road in Abbey, Cambridge. It lies just to the east of the roundabout where Elizabeth Way, Cambridge, Elizabeth Way and Newmarket Road, Cambridge, Newmarket Road meet. The house is 17th-century but perhaps containing parts of earlier date; it has two storeys with attics. The house is a Grade II listed building; the walls and archway are separately listed Grade II. It has been described as both the oldest inhabited house and the most haunted house in the city. History Abbey House was built by Alexander Butler on the site of Barnwell Priory (dissolved 1539) and parts of the old ecclesiastical buildings can be found in the walls, cellar and gardens of the house. Local barrister Jacob Butler inherited the house and much of the surrounding land, which played host to the annual Stourbridge Fair, in 1714, but lost it in a legal dispute prior to his death in 1765. His tall fierce-looking ghost and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
