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| Hornfair Park |
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Formal gardens, opened 1935. Presumably named after Charlton Hornfair. This used to be held annually, from ancient times, in front of Charlton House, and later in Fairfield Grove. In 1874, the Horn Fair was stopped because of the serious drunken behaviour which took place every year. A smaller version was started again in 1973, and is now held annually in the grounds of Charlton House. It has been suggested that the name Horn Fair did not come from the fact that the area used to be a royal hunting ground, but instead because Charlton used to be the site of a pagan festival, where people danced wearing horns on their heads. The Fair reached its heyday in the time of Charles II in the 1660s when thousands of people used to attend. |
