Charter Day
Charter Day traces its origins back to the year 1300 when King Edward I granted Topsham the right to hold a weekly Saturday market and annual fair by Royal Charter. The Saturday market remains a popular weekly event but, following the demise of the town Carnival in 2015 after many years, a group of Topsham residents decided to fill the void with an annual fair to commemorate the granting of the town’s charter – and so Charter Day was born. On the first Charter Day, banners made by local schoolchildren were hung from the buildings in Fore Street as Topsham travelled back in time to medieval days.
A traditional street market was held and Charles Courtney, the Earl of Devon, arrived by boat dressed in a full suit of armour to receive a copy of the original Royal Charter to cheers from the good people of Topsham. Charter Day is now a popular annual celebration and is held on the August bank holiday weekend at the end of Town Fayre week. The event begins with a parade through the town to the green outside St Margaret’s Church where people are welcomed to the sound of the church bells before enjoying traditional children’s games and entertainment. The focus then moves to Topsham Quay for locally produced food and an evening of live music and dancing.
This year – 2025 – Charter Day will be held on SUNDAY 24th AUGUST and follow its medieval theme with pop-up stalls and a flea market along Fore Street. The afternoon’s celebrations will start with a fancy dress competition at Matthews Hall from 1pm with a prize for the best medieval costume. This will be followed at 2pm by a parade down Fore Street led by the renowned Otter Morris Dancers to St Margaret’s Church Green where you will find an array of traditional children’s games and entertainment. Then head to Topsham Quay for a traditional ceilidh at 6pm and live music outside The Globe from 8 to 10pm.
To support the day itself, the Charter Day Team organises a number of events throughout the year, such as children’s free craft activities, cheese and wine evenings, and quiz nights, and each Christmas the team hides hundreds of handmade knitted angels throughout the town for people to find.
