The once thriving Mansfield Cattle Market complemented the town centre Market Place, and was located off Nottingham Road. The Cattle Market is no longer there; it is now where we have the Water Meadows swimming baths and car park.
1961
The Christmas Fatstock Show in the Cattle Market in the 1961 photographs show there was a hive of activity. It is also interesting to note what is going on in the background to identify building etc. i.e. if the sheep pen photograph is enlarged then Mansfield’s old Gasometer can be seen behind the building.
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1963
These photographs also record the Christmas Fatstock show two years later in 1963. Is that the Mayor in his regalia or did the Fatstock Judge also have official regalia?
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1970
In April 1970 the BBC visited the Horse Sales at the Cattle Market. Was this a special occasion to warrant the BBC coming, and who is being interviewed?
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1974
June 1974 the market is not as busy (was this typical?), the transport vehicles are now trailers rather than large cattle trucks. It appears now to be a family occasion rather than the very business-like occasions of earlier years. No need for farm pleasure parks then.
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1975
The cattle are now only part of the occasion, there appear to be more families than farmers.
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1983
The end of an era. The last Mansfield Fat Stock Show.
The tradition of holding a regular Cattle Market in Mansfield commenced in January 1806. (Link to the Livestock page by Dennis Hill)
Comments about this page
1970 Horse Auction – I dont think it was a special sale or occasion, just a normal Horse Auction that were held every 2nd & 4th Thursdays of the month. The BBC were interviewing Arnold F. Graham who was the senior Auctioneer of Graham’s Auctions who conducted the sales.
The cattle market was a fantastic place and as kids it was a treat to be taken to the cattle market with my Uncle Bud, I feel closing cattle markets across UK was yet another way of destroying town life!
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