MILTON Abbas Street Fair will return on July 27.

Whatever the weather, villagers would love you to join them for their 18th Century themed fair.

The fair recreates the flavour of a past country occasion using costumes, rural crafts, music, dance and demonstrations.

The event has something for all generations, recreating an idyllic time-gone-by.

The bunting will be out and there will be more than a hundred stalls and food and drink venues.

Traditional entertainment includes Morris dancing, Punch and Judy, music, donkey rides and for the first time this year, there will be ferret racing.

Dining and drinking options include a hog roast, an afternoon tea tent and a Pimms bar.

The fair takes place in the picturesque Dorset village of Milton Abbas, a rural community situated between Blandford and Dorchester. The origins of Milton Abbas fair date back to 934 AD, when the village was originally sited in the bustling town of Middleton around the Benedictine Milton Abbey. King Athelstan, grandson of Alfred the Great, granted Middleton a market and a fair which took place on St. Sampson’s Day, St. Sampson being the patron saint of the ancient town and Abbey. The current fair continues this tradition and is held on the Saturday closest to St. Sampson’s day.

In the 18th Century, around 1773, Joseph Damer, Earl of Dorchester, decided that he didn’t want the town of Middleton so close to his new mansion, so he demolished the old town of Middleton and rebuilt a new village away from his house. The renowned landscape gardener Capability Brown was commissioned and together they created the famous village of Milton Abbas that we see today, set in one of Capability Brown’s most stunning backdrops. It’s iconic street of identical white thatched cottages have graced many a chocolate or biscuit box. Recently you may have seen Milton Abbas star in the recent BBC2 documentary ‘Pubs, Ponds and Power (The Story of the Village…).

In 1973, the villagers recreated Milton Abbas’ country fair to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the founding of the present-day village. This tradition has continued every two years since and has become a hugely popular event looked forward to by villagers and visitors alike.

The fair caters for all ages. There are donkey rides for the younger attendees and artisan demonstrations and entertainment for the older generations.

A particular feature of this year’s fair will be an exhibition by the village’s History Group detailing the old town of Middleton. There has been some amazing work done in the Village to learn about the stories and lives of the Village’s previous inhabitants. This exhibition will be held in the Village’s St. James Church and is open to any Street Fair attendee.

It is sure to be a great day out and a way for visitors to immerse themselves in the culture of a time gone-by. The fair will open at 11am and finish at 5pm. Free managed parking will be provided for all attendees.

Any monies raised will help support local community organisations that helps sustain Village Life, e.g. Sports Clubs, local school groups, the scouts, the village newspaper. A full list of those to benefit can be found on the Fairs website miltonabbasstreetfair.co.uk Each fair we also choose a local external charity and for this year this will be Teddy20. Teddy20 is a charity based in Blandford, Dorset that supports children with cancer and their families (Teddy20.org).

The Villagers would love you to join them on what promises to be a very special day.

For more information about the fair, please visit miltonabbasstreetfair.co.uk