Most people know the song by Simon and Garfunkel, "Are you Going to Scarborough Fair".
This song is an old canticle but the fair itself is much older.
The origins are from medieval times and based on the herring trade. There were vast shoals of this little fish migrating down the north sea from Scotland in springtime. From the first week in august to early September (around 40 days)The herring spawn off the north coast of Yorkshire. In years gone by not only locals but fishermen from far and wide came to catch these small fish. The fishermen from as far as Scotland and Cornwall used mid water drift nets at night to catch the fish. This was similar to the gold rush of old with men chasing this silver treasure. The currency used for trading these fish in the low countries was called Easterling which eventually became Stirling.
The wealth that was created during the fishing season led to the seasonal gathering of Scarborough Fair
As the these fish were landed the Herring Girls were there to gut , salt and barrel them. Then these fish were sold all over Europe. As they were salted these fish would last a long time and the fishermen would live off these fish for months.
Herrings were barrelled in Scarborough right up until world war two. And the use of the drift nets carried on until the 1970's
This Sculpture of the Herring Girls is in Scarborough
Today the herring still schoal but its the big trawlers from the UK and Netherlands that catch them using strick Quoters
