Buckingham Charter Fair runs on Saturday 17 and Saturday 24 October. Market Hill, Market Square and High Street close from 6am on each Friday before.
Buckingham’s Charter Fair returns to the town centre on Saturday 17 October and Saturday 24 October. The main streets will be closed to traffic for most of both weekends while the rides are built, run and taken down.
Buckingham Town Council announced the dates on 22 September. The fair has been held in the town for centuries. Its right to be there comes from two royal charters, one granted by Mary I in 1554 and a second by Charles II in 1664. The charters require it to be held on a Saturday, and it still is.
Which roads close, and when
The council’s notice lists three streets closed to traffic on both weekends:
- Market Hill
- Market Square
- High Street
| Fair day | Roads closed | Town centre bus stop closed |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday 17 October | 6am Friday 16 October to 10am Sunday 18 October | 10am Friday 16 October to 10am Sunday 18 October |
| Saturday 24 October | 6am Friday 23 October to 10am Sunday 25 October | 10am Friday 23 October to 10am Sunday 25 October |
That is 52 hours of closure each weekend, starting on a working Friday morning. Anyone who normally parks, delivers or catches a bus in the centre on either Friday will need another plan.
The council’s notice does not say where buses will stop instead, or when the fair closes each evening. Those are the two things to check with the town council or the bus operator nearer the time.
A free hour for children and adults with additional needs
The fair opens officially at 1pm on Saturday 17 October. The Mayor of Buckingham, Councillor Fran Davies, and the town crier, Patrick Laws, will open it.
The first hour, 1pm to 2pm, is kept for free rides for local children and adults with additional needs. The council says this gives them “an opportunity to enjoy the attractions in a more relaxed environment”. The showman provides the rides free of charge.
Tickets for that hour are not sold on the day. They are arranged in advance through Buckingham Town Council, on 01280 816 426 or office@buckingham-tc.gov.uk.
From 2pm the fair is open to everyone.
Councillor Robin Stuchbury, chair of the town council’s Town Centre and Events Committee, said the committee would be “working with officers to safely escort the charter fair into Buckingham again this year”. He added: “it is through collaborating with the Showman that this event continues its historic role in the fabric of our town.”
What it means for you
- Book the relaxed hour now if it would suit someone in your family. Places for 1pm to 2pm on 17 October are arranged through the town council in advance, not at the gate.
- Move your car before Friday. Market Hill, Market Square and High Street close at 6am on Friday 16 October and again on Friday 23 October.
- Your bus stop moves for two weekends. The town centre stop is closed from 10am on each Friday until 10am on the Sunday.
- The streets reopen by Sunday morning. Both closures end at 10am on the Sunday.
The Charter Fair is the first of Buckingham’s autumn events. The Christmas lights switch-on and the parade follow, and we have the dates for those here.
Also from the town council this month
The town has a new allotment site. The Derrick Isham Allotments on Tingewick Road opened on Friday 18 September, the council said on 23 September. The site has 40 half-size plots of 125 square metres each. It is named after the late Councillor Derrick Isham.
Plots are open to residents of the parish of Buckingham. You register your interest with the town council and join a waiting list. The council’s estates team is on 01280 816 426 or estates@buckingham-tc.gov.uk.
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