14: A Great Tradition Revived
The Cherry Fayre is a popular feature of Axminster’s annual calendar and a tradition that dates back over 800 years. It was in 1204 that King John granted the Manor of Axminster to Lord William Brewer, Sheriff of Devon and of several other counties, in return for an annual fee of £24 to help fund the king’s armies.
The legal charter established Axminster as a market town with rights to hold a Sunday market and an eight-day annual fayre. The ancient midsummer Cherry Fayre celebration brought great prestige and valuable trade to the town, with merchants, traders and dealers of all kinds gathering to buy and sell a wide variety of produce.
Resurrected by Light Up Axminster in 2017, the event gets underway each year with the ancient ‘raising of the glove’ ceremony conducted by the current Lord of the Manor, Jim Rowe, who reads from King John’s original charter.
Designer: Pippa Galvin
“The key elements of this banner are to celebrate the tradition of the ‘Raising of The Glove’ ceremony and the starting of the Cherry Fayre festivities. Our town is always dressed with countless handmade bunting and decorations. This bold and colourful design aims to demonstrate the fun and community spirit of this summer tradition in Axminster.”
Location: The Axminster Inn, Silver Street
Sponsor: Monday Afternoon Crafts Group at the Guildhall (Hazel Hunt, Christine Newton, Jayne Brown, Jenny Frend, Cheryl Gardner, Caroline Smith)