The Bartholomew Fair

History of the Fair

The annual Bartholomew Fair, starting at the time of the Saint’s Day on 24th August, took place from 1133 until 1855, when it was closed down for licentiousness and vice. The City of London revived it in 2023 for the 900th anniversary of the Priory, Church, and Hospital.

The Disputation

One of the traditions of the Fair was a Disputation, originally on theological matters, but later of a more general nature, that took place on the Priory Grounds. Great thinkers of the times came and took part in this. With the revival of the Fair in 2023, this tradition was also revived, with the topic this time being “This House believes that the love of money is the root of all the nation’s problems”.

See below to watch a recording of the event. Click here for details of this year’s Disputation and those of past years.