Historic Warwick Mop Fair back in town

The historic Warwick Mop has returned to the town.
The Warwick Mop Fair is back in town. Photos by the team at Warwick Mop and Cllr Richard Eddy.The Warwick Mop Fair is back in town. Photos by the team at Warwick Mop and Cllr Richard Eddy.
The Warwick Mop Fair is back in town. Photos by the team at Warwick Mop and Cllr Richard Eddy.

Today (Friday) the historic fair has been set up in the town centre for the first weekend of the annual tradition.

During tonight and tomorrow there will be a selection of rides, entertainment and stalls set up in and around Market Place.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This afternoon the mop fair will be open for children from special needs schools in the area.

The fair will then come back next weekend for the 'Runaway Mop'.

The event traces it’s history back around 700 years to a time when local agricultural workers and domestic servants sought employment.

They would be hired for a week, to assess their skills and for them to get to know their new employer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

If either party was unhappy they were free to change and seek different employment at the Runaway Mop, however this was risky as if they agreed to a contract then, they were hired for the year.

Many traditions are still maintained during the modern fairs. The official opening ceremony, which will take place tomorrow (Saturday) at noon, will see Warwick’s Mayor, Neale Murphy reading the historic charter.

Following the opening, the traditional pig roast is held along with a charity auction for the first slice of meat. The auction proceeds and sale of pork batches on the day will raise funds for the Mayor’s Charity.

Many local shops in Warwick town centre will have discount vouchers for the mop and there are also a selection of vouchers inside this week's Courier and KWN

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A number of roads will be closed for the mop until noon on Sunday (October 20).

The following roads will be closed:~Brook Street~Market Place~Market Street – except for egress from the bus station and car park~New Bridge~New Street~Old Square~Puckering’s Lane – except for egress to the bus station and car park~Swan Street~The Holloway

The same roads will be closed again from 5pm on Thursday October 24 until noon on Sunday October 27.

The Warwick Mop will take place on Friday October 18 from 5pm to 10.30pm and on Saturday October 19 from noon until 10.30pm.

The same times will be in place for the Runaway Mop on October 25 and October 26.

For more information go to: http://warwickmopfair.co.uk/index.html

Related topics: