J H Buckingham - "Returning from Barnet Fair, London Colney, near St Albans, 1861. Rear of the Golden Lion."

Social History (Museum of St Albans)

2006.6894

Watercolour by J.H. Buckingham showing figures returning through London Colney from Barnet Fair. London Colney stands on the road that passed through Barnet, also once known as Chipping Barnet. In the road to the left of the painting animals can be seen being driven home from the fair. In the distance to the right is the Golden Lion pub at 111 High Street in London Colney. This pub was built around 1756 and still exists today. Barnet Fair was Hertfordshire's largest, and one of England's great horse and cattle fairs. In its heyday it had showground attractions and horse races for the visitor, while 50,000 head of cattle and countless horses were bought and sold. But in the 1880s Barnet Fair was in decline, following an outbreak of cattle sickness. A few horses are still sold in Barnet to keep the memory alive. Horse fairs were notoriously rough places, and in Barnet's case the reputation was well-deserved, being close to London. The comparison with the second-hand and stolen car trade one hundred years later is easily made: horse dealers knew every trick to make an animal look a better buy than it later proved to be.

1861

PH9213Buckingham.tif

Amy Cooke

3) MoStA Archive Room

High Street, London Colney, St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK

PWD Box 43

26/04/2006