Ebernoe Horn Fair

What to expect

Play starts from around 11am on the cricket field by Ebernoe Common, with Ebernoe taking on a team from a neighbouring village. A ram roasts on a spit at the end of the field all day. At lunchtime, around 2pm, there is a procession in which the players and the roast cross the crease, and the meat is shared among the cricketers. When the match is over, at around 6pm depending on play, the horns are presented to the highest-scoring batsman, the Horn Fair Song is sung and more roast mutton is shared out. There is usually a small funfair and refreshments.

The story behind it

Horn fairs were once found in several parts of southern England and were rowdy affairs, often with jokes about cuckolded husbands. Ebernoe's fair is said to be centuries old and seems to have been revived in 1864 after a long lapse. It has continued since, missing only the war years and 2020. Some say a storm on Horn Fair day promises a good harvest, and gardeners were once reminded to sow their spring cabbages then.

Getting there and home

Ebernoe is about five miles north of Petworth down country lanes. Haslemere and Pulborough are the nearest stations, both several miles away, so you will need a car or taxi. Park considerately on the lanes or as directed by stewards. Petworth and Midhurst are the nearest towns with places to stay.

Watching, taking part and tips

The cricket is played by the village teams, so visitors watch from the boundary. Bring a rug or folding chair and settle in; it is a long, sociable day. Children are welcome and there are children's sports after the match. Bring sun cream, a hat and a waterproof, as it is outdoors all day.

Where to watch

Kirdford Parish Council's account puts the Horn Fair squarely in village cricket: Ebernoe takes on another village club, and the curious presentation comes at the end of the match. Worth knowing if you're expecting a non-stop stage show. Decide whether you want to watch a good chunk of the game or mainly the presentation, then ask Ebernoe Cricket Club how the coming fair will run. Find out about admission, payment, refreshments, toilets and what happens if play is interrupted, rather than treating an old approximate finish time as an appointment. Keep your journey home flexible enough for the cricket to take its own course. If you need a seat, check where visitors can put one before bringing it, and stay clear of the boundary and the areas the players use. For families, explain that much of the day is a real match, with its own pauses and concentration, not a run of organised activities on demand. Ask where you can follow the score, too; knowing the innings and how each side is getting on makes a long visit much easier to enjoy.

Make a day of it nearby

Ebernoe Wildlands and Petworth House are two contrasting ways to make more of your visit. Sussex Wildlife Trust describes the Wildlands as a mosaic of woodland, grazed commons, streams, ponds and grassland, with the older common at its heart — the choice for a nature walk where the landscape, not a building, is the draw. At Petworth, the National Trust's house holds paintings and sculpture, including works by Turner and Van Dyck, and historic kitchens that show the working household. Choose the art or the reserve to suit your group's interests and the weather, then check the visitor information. Neither is included in Horn Fair admission. If the match is your priority, save the house for another morning, and pick a modest walk on the reserve rather than trying to cover the whole landscape before the cricket starts. Both the fair and the countryside repay a little unhurried attention. At the house, decide whether the art rooms or the working kitchens come first, and check which areas your ticket covers.

Accessibility and families

Sussex Wildlife Trust warns that Ebernoe Wildlands isn't easily wheelchair accessible, with slopes, muddy paths and some steps, and there are no toilets on the reserve. Important if a walk is part of your day, and a good reason to sort out facilities before leaving Petworth or wherever you've stopped. The Trust gives access from the church car park off Streel's Lane, but that's everyday reserve parking, and there's no guarantee of space during the fair; ask the organisers about approach and parking on the day. Dogs must be on leads on the reserve, and the Trust asks visitors not to pick flowers or forage, fungi included. Enjoy the habitat by looking rather than collecting, and wear footwear that suits the conditions. Check the fair's own dog rules separately, because the reserve's policy doesn't decide what's allowed beside the cricket. Keep the reserve map handy on your walk, and pick a turning point that leaves plenty of time to get back without crossing an active cricket area.

Questions people ask

Where it is

Map pin shows the approximate area where the event happens. Open in OpenStreetMap ↗

Go straight to the source

Independent research. The organiser’s own information always wins — we have not visited or tested the journeys.

• Calendar Customs: Ebernoe Horn Fair ↗
• Wikipedia: Ebernoe Horn Fair ↗
• Sussex World: Horn Fair returns 25 July 2023 ↗
• Kirdford Parish Council: Horn Fair cricket context ↗
• Sussex Wildlife Trust: Ebernoe Wildlands access and habitat ↗
• National Trust: Petworth House and collections ↗