On Sunday, we visited Melton Mowbray for their annual county fair. Melton Mowbray is smack-dab in the middle of England, just under 2 hours drive from our base in Broadway. When we finally got there, it had just started to rain, and the thermometer was down around 15˚C/60˚F. I was in shorts and short sleeves. As we ate our lunch in the car, we watched more intrepid Englishmen and women get out of their cars, bundle up, and off to the fair.
Well, we decided that, in this weather, we weren’t going to enjoy the fair, so we decided to head off and see if there was anything else worth seeing in the area. As we were headed out of town, one of us needed to go to the bathroom, so we stopped in at a park with public facilities. After we parked, we discovered that we had found the one free parking spot near the county fair, so we thought we really ought to pay it a visit, seeing as it is right here.
Admission was £10 for the whole family, and just as we arrived, a show of falconry was on display. Looking skyward, we could watch the falcon dive and swoop, and eventually come to land next to its trainer. I remembered a bit of trivia about the falcon being the fastest animal in the world, and my son was suddenly able to fill in the details about it being the Peregrine Falcon.
There were some bagpipers and then we joined in some Victorian dancing with a Victorian dance troupe. A welshman also demonstrated his champion sheepdogs, herding ducks around the field. Walking the stalls, we got some free samples of locally made liquors, and ended up liking a brandy so much, we bought a small bottle for enjoyment later. We also met and talked to members of the Knights of Nottingham, a group of riders who would be putting on a jousting show at 4.
Trying out Victorian dance:
There was a beautiful church in Melton Mowbray, which first caught our attention when we looked skyward for the falcon during the falconry display; it had a beautiful bell tower (as so many churches here do). So while waiting until 4 for the jousting, we walked over to it to check it out. The church was very welcoming, offering us drinks and a tour, which we accepted. As a visitor to England, you don’t have to go to Melton Mowbray to see their church, but you should go to one or two old churches as you travel around England, and St. Mary’s in Melton Mowbray is one of the best. St. Mary’s dates to prior to the Norman conquest, but the current building was built in 1170 and includes many tombs and crypts, including that of a crusader. Although not a cathedral, it was built in the cathedral style, one of only 5 parish churches in England to do so. The church member who showed us around explained that the church had applied in recent years to be elevated to cathedral status, but its application was denied.
Finally at 4, the kids were treated to a jousting display by the Knights of Nottingham. The Knights put on a show, including sword and axe fighting, with a comedic element, but certainly the best part was the mounted fighters. I ride just once or twice a year, so seeing expert riders ride around prone “casualties” on the battlefield without stepping on them was impressive. Their display of horsemanship against unmounted fighters was also impressive, but of course, we all wanted to see the knights make jousting passes with their lances, which they obliged. It was all acting, of course, but it was still great fun!
All in all, I am very glad we made the fair, because the whole family had a great time. And Melinda enjoyed the brandy we had bought that same evening back in our cottage in Broadway.
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