Celebrating Stourbridge Fair.

Held at the 12th century Chapel of St Mary Magdalene, known as the Leper Chapel, the fair was granted a Charter by King John in 1211, allowing a 3 day market on the Vigil of Holy Cross Day. It was to raise funds for the lepers of Cambridge. The chapel was originally built as an isolation hospital for them and the fair added to the hospital's income. It became  one of the largest fairs in Europe. Samuel Pepys wrote about it in his diary and Daniel Defoe wrote about visiting the fair in 1725. A new leper hospital was built in 1371 and in 1751 the chapel ceased to be a place of worship and was used as a store. After restoration it has belonged to the Cambridge Preservation Society since 1951. In recognition of the fine Romanesque architecture it was listed Grade 1. Now part of the Parish of the Holy Cross, the chapel is used regularly for worship, and for the last few years, 'Friends of the Leper Chapel' have held a medieval fair there again, although the Midsummer Fair on the common opens under the same Charter. The Chapel hosts concerts, poetry readings, storytelling, theatre and art exhibitions. Today there were stalls selling local produce and garlic, honey and beeswax, also there was medieval dance, an alchemist and pedlars. The University Proctor and Constables were there to keep order !  My main picture shows some of the types of musical instruments on a stall and you can see inside the chapel in the extras. I went in to hear the Fair Charter read out by the Town Crier.