As days out in the countryside go, visiting a game fair is hard to beat, with their combination of traditional country crafts, country pursuits and great food halls.

In our recent readers' survey, you told us that one of your highlights of the rural calendar was visiting a game fair, so here's a directory of the best game fairs near you. Either click on the map to reveal each individual show's details or see below for May, June, July, August, September and October.  

= May = June = July = August = September = October
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MAY GAME FAIRS
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BASC Game Fair of Northern Ireland
Date: 2-3 May
Location: Ballywalter Park, Ards Peninsula, County Down, Northern Ireland
Tel: 02892605050 FIND OUT MORE 
Prices: Adults £8, under 16s free

Run by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (Britain’s largest shooting association) the Northern Ireland Game Fair is packed full of activities. There’s laser clay shooting, air rifle stands, a fine food hall, sheep dog trialling, mounted games and displays by John Carmichael from the Northern Ireland School of Falconry. Book in advance to save a quarter off the ticket price. 

Lincolnshire Game Fair 
Date: 2-4 May
Location: Market Rasen Racecourse, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, LN8 3EA
Tel: 01205 871 354 FIND OUT MORE 
Prices: Adults £7, children and OAPs £5, family £20

The 2009 Lincolnshire Game Fair will be held at the Market Rasen Racecourse in the heart of the Lincolnshire countryside. You can enjoy everything, from gundog events to horse logging. Show highlights include displays by jousting stunt team the Knights of the Damned and there’s even a Kiddies Zone to keep your children happy. 

The British Falconry and Raptor Fair
Date: 3-4 May
Location: Chetwynd Park. Newport, Shropshire
Tel: 01588 672708 FIND OUT MORE 
Prices: Adults £10, children £4, under fives free

This fair features specialist exhibitors from Europe and North America, including free fly-casting tuition from expert Derek Turner and incredible examples of falconry from Jonathan Marshall, whose displays encourage audience participation. There will also be dog agility trials and exhibitions from sporting and wildlife artists. Also look out for Jemima Parry, director of the International Centre for Birds of Prey.

Hampshire Country Fair
Date: 3-4 May
Location: Broadlands, Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 9ZD
Tel: 01283 820548 FIND OUT MORE 
Prices: Adults £8, OAPs £7, children £4

The Hampshire Country Show is held in the grounds of the late Earl Mountbatten’s house, Broadlands. This year’s highlights include the International Chainsaw Carving Competition between England and Germany, as well as falconry and ferret displays and a craft village. 

Pickering Game and Country Fair
Date: 10-11 May, 9am-5pm
Location: Pickering Showground, Pickering, North Yorkshire, YO18 8EA
Tel: 0844 357 3464 FIND OUT MORE 
Prices: Adults £8, OAPs £7, under 16s £3, family £20

At the official gateway to the North York Moors, the Pickering showground will play host to sheep dog demonstrations, lurcher shows and clay shooting, as well as Kevin Roxby’s cookery theatre. Highlights of the show include the National Gundog Scurry Championship and there are plenty of sports for you to have a go at. 

Arbury Hall Game and Country Fair
Date: 16-17 May
Location: Arbury Hall, Arbury, Nuneaton, CV10 7PT
Tel: 024 7638 2804 FIND OUT MORE 
Prices: Adults £8, OAPs £7, under 16s £3, under fives free

Axe racing, heavy horses and fly-casting are among the displays you will be able to see at Arbury Hall this May. On the site of a beautiful example of Elizabethan architecture as well as the birthplace of George Elliot, you’ll be delighted by the vintage fairground, rural crafts and fine food marquee. Or try the quad bike rides if you’re feeling adventurous. 

Living Heritage Game, Country and Angling Fair 
Date: 23-25 May
Location: Burghley House, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 3JY
Tel: 01283 820548 FIND OUT MORE 
Prices: Adults £9, OAPs £8, children £4

The second annual Living Heritage Game, Country and Angling Fair at Burghley has everything from equestrian demonstrations to scurry driving and gundog displays. The extensive parkland was designed by landscape architect Lancelot Brown, while the house itself has been featured in films such as The Da Vinci Code and Elizabeth: the Golden Age.

Highclere Country Fair
Date: 24-25 May
Location: Highclere Castle, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 9RN
Tel: 0845 230 5175 FIND OUT MORE 
Prices: Adult £10, children £4, family £27

Highclere Castle plays host to this excellent fair, with many international events such as Skinner International Retriever competition, the second qualifying stage of the Mitsubishi Motors World Series and the Airgun Training and Education Organisation Junior Airgun Championship. As well as this, you can experience falconry, visit the fishing village and see working dogs in action. 

Yorkshire Game Fair 
Date: 24-25 May
Location: Harewood House, Harewood, Nr Leeds, West Yorkshire LS17 9LQ
Tel: 01895 820202 FIND OUT MORE 
Prices: Adults £9.50, OAPs £9, under 16s £5, under 4s free, family £23

If you have an interest in everything countryside related then visit Harewood House. The angling display with Charles Jardine and Roger Black may draw your attention or perhaps you would prefer to spend your time at the food in the field area, which has demonstrations as well as wine, beer and food tasters.

Tabley Game and Country Fair
Date: 30-31 May
Location: Tabley, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 0HB
Tel: 0844 357 3464 FIND OUT MORE 
Prices: Adults £8, OAPs £7, under 16s £3, family £20

This fair, in the grounds of the 18th century Tabley House, combines clay shooting, sheep shearing and archery. Other exhibits include lurcher and terrier racing and gundog scurries organised by Adrian Slater of the England gundog team.

JUNE GAME FAIRS
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Wales and Border Counties Game and Country Fair
Date: 6-7 June
Location: Glanusk Park, Crickhowell, Powys, South Wales, NP8 1LP
Tel: 01588 672708 FIND OUT MORE
Prices: Adults £9, children £4, under 5s free

Have a go at muzzle loading at the BASC game fair in South Wales or see Tom Langton, president of the International Sheep Dog Society, performing in the sheep dog displays. Throughout the day Jill Fielding’s band will entertain you while you wander through the 150 plus trade stalls.

Cornbury Park Game and Country Fair
Date: 6-7 June
Location: Cornbury Park, Charlbury, Oxfordshire, OX7 3EH
Tel: 0844 3573464 FIND OUT MORE
Prices: Adults £8, OAPs £7, under 16s £3, under 5s free, family £20

For a fantastic day out in the heart of the beautiful Cotswolds, visit the very first Cornbury Game Fair. See Adrian Slater of the British gundog team perform and bring your own pets to join in with the lurcher, terrier and ferret competitions. After all that hard work, you may find time to relax with a pint or two at the licensed bar.

Houghton Hall Game and Country Fair
Date: 13-14 June
Location: Houghton, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, UK, PE31 6UE
Tel: 0844 3573463 FIND OUT MORE
Adults £8, OAPs £7, under 16s £3, under 5s get in free, family £20

Built by Britain’s first prime minister, Robert Walpole, Houghton Hall is the perfect location for a game fair. Try your hand at clay shooting, archery and master the art of shooting an air rifle (just be careful not to hit the park’s rare deer). There’s plenty for the whole family to enjoy throughout the day.

Suffolk Game and Country Fair
Date: 13-14 June
Location: Glemham Hall, Woodbridge, Suffolk Coastal, IP13
Tel: 01485 528954 FIND OUT MORE
Adults £8, children under 13 go free

If you are looking for a cheap evening out, visit Glemham Hall. Entry later in the day is only £5 including the evening’s events, but you will miss out on the great events that the day has to offer. As well as the usual game fair delights, new for 2009 is the Fun Dog Show where, for only £1, you can enter man’s best friend into one of eight different categories.  

Sussex Country Fair
Date: 20-21 June
Location: Parham Park, Pulborough, West Sussex RH20 4HS
FIND OUT MORE
Adult £11, children £4, family £27

Sussex Country Fair has something for everyone, from vintage vehicles to countryside heavy horse displays, and even terrier racing with Cyril the Squirrel. If you’re feeling crafty you can experience age-old techniques like forging, trug making and rope working. Children will love to watch the Tallest Magic Show in the World, while you enjoy 1920s style music by Casablanca Steps. All this and it’s on a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with several oak trees more than 500 years old. 

The Welsh Game Fair
Date: 20-21 June
Location: Gelli Aur, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, South Wales, SA32 8NJ
Tel: 01267 281 410 FIND OUT MORE
Adults £9, children £4, family £22.

There is a lot to do at the Welsh Game Fair. See motocross rider Jason Smythe perform incredible stunts, the Red Devils parachute team, falconry, pigeon decoying and longnetting. If that’s not enough, this year there’s even a brand new clay shoot layout to try.

Bedale Game and Country Fair 
Date: 20-21 June
Location: Hornby Castle, Bedale, DL8 1NQ
Tel: 0844 357 3464 FIND OUT MORE
Adults £8, children £3, family £20
Feel like a king for a day and visit Hornby Castle’s Bedale Game Fair. Have a go on the clay pool shoot, try 50 bird sporting or, if you’re a beginner, learn from a fully qualified Clay Pigeon Shooting Association coach. Or take a look at the sheepdog trials or watch the sheep shearing demonstration. 

Rockingham Game Fair
Date: 27-28 June
Location: Rockingham Castle, Rockingham, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 8TH
Tel: 01205 871 354 FIND OUT MORE

Go back in time at Rockingham Castle this summer. Originally built for William the Conqueror it’s now host to a game and country fair that even he would have been proud of. See displays of medieval jousting from the Knights of the Damned group, gundog events or even clay pigeon shooting. 

BASC Wales Game Fair
Date: 27-28 June
Location: Bodelwyddan Castle, Denbighshire, LL18 5YA
Tel: 01686 688 861 FIND OUT MORE
Adults £8, Children £3
The 10th annual BASC game fair in Wales is bound to be one to remember. Held in the reputedly haunted Bodelwyddan Castle, the fair has a stunning setting overlooking the Welsh coast. This is a great event for fans of gundog displays and the BASC firearms team will be showing off their skills in the main arena.  

JULY GAME FAIRS
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The Scottish Game Fair
Date: 3-5 July
Location: Scone Palace, Perth, Scotland, PH2 6BD
Tel: 01828 650639 FIND OUT MORE 
Adults £14, children £3,
family £31

The Scottish fair has gundogs, falconry, shooting and fishing for your family to enjoy. Also, this year you can watch a brand new sheep show. Held in the grounds of Scone Palace, the food hall will get you drooling, with everything from oatcakes to wild boar. 

Royal County Game Fair
Date: 4-5 July
Location: Mapledurham House, Mapledurham, nr Reading, Berkshire RG4 7TR
Tel: 01895 820202 FIND OUT MORE
Adults £8.50, OAPs £8, children £4, family £23,

The mounted games associations of Great Britain will be appearing at Mapledurham House this July along with static owl displays, a gunmakers row and a falconry display. See Katy Cropper’s sheepdog display, where she manages groups of duck and geese.

Raby Castle Country and Game Fair
Date: 11-12 July
Location: Raby Castle, Staindrop, Darlington, DL2 3AH 
Tel: 0844 357 3464 FIND OUT MORE 
Adults £8, OAPs £7, under 16s £3, family £20

Check out chainsaw carving at the Raby Castle Game Fair in County Durham. There will also be displays of rare breeds, clay shooting and a delicious fine food marquee. The medieval castle has 200 acres of parkland for herds of deer to roam and is set in an estate previously owned by King Canute. 

Revesby Game Fair
Date: 11-12 July
Location: Revesby Estate, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE22 7NB
Tel: 01205 871 354 FIND OUT MORE 
Adults £7, OAPs and children £5, family £20

Reputedly dating back to Viking times, Revesby is the place to go for dog, horse and birds of prey displays. There will also be stalls, crafts and ferret racing. 

The CLA Game Fair
Date: 24-26 July
Location: Belvoir Castle, Grantham, Leicestershire
Tel: 0870 9500303 FIND OUT MORE 

The Country Land and Business Association fair is one of the highlights of the summer. Children will particularly enjoy the Maize Maze, simulated parachute jumps and aerial trekking. Throughout the weekend there will also be gundog events where you can have a go, flying displays and a British food village. 

AUGUST GAME FAIR
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Berkeley Castle Game and Country Fair
Date: 1-2 August
Location: Berkeley Castle, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, GL13 9BQ 
Tel: 0844 357 3464 FIND OUT MORE 
Adults £8, OAPs £7, under 16s £3, family £20

With archery, gundog scurry, clay shooting and many different animal shows, Berkeley Castle Game and Country Fair is a fantastic day out for all of the family. Visit the cookery theatre to find out what can be done with the produce you bought in the fine food marquee. 

Galloway Country Fair
Date: 15-16 August
Location: Raehills, St Anns, Lockerbie DG11 1HL Scotland, UK 
Tel: 01557 860259 FIND OUT MORE 
Adults £10, under 14s free,

Make like the Red Arrows and swoop into Scotland to visit the Galloway Country Fair. There’s loads to see, with axe throwing, stick making and wood turning just three of the exciting exhibits on offer.

Warwickshire and West Midlands Game and Country Fair
Date: 22-23 August
Location: Ragley Hall, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 5NJ
Tel: 01588 672 708 FIND OUT MORE 
Adults £10, children £4, under 5s free,

See side-saddle riding exhibits, mink hound shows, and whippet racing while you listen out for Le Rallye Bonnelles’ traditional hunting fanfares at the Warwickshire and West Midlands Game and Country Fair. There’s plenty to do for everyone, with a woodland adventure playground and Victorian funfair for the children. 

Fenland Country Fair
Date: 30-31 August 
Location: Stow-cum-Quy Park, Cambridge, CB25 9AJ 
Tel: 01485 528954 FIND OUT MORE 
Adults £8.50, under 11s free, 

The Fenland Country Fair is one of the best known in the country. This year it is hosting a new fun dog show that you can enter on the day. Other events include a display of fly-fishing by world record holder Hywel Morgan and a flying display with the South East Falconry Group. 

Cumbrian Game Fair
Date: 29-31 August
Location: Carlisle Racecourse, Durdar Road, Carlisle, CA2 4TS
Tel: 01205 871354 FIND OUT MORE 

Details coming soon

Shropshire Game and Country Fair
Date: 29-31 August
Location: Chetwynd Park, Newport, Telford, Shropshire
Tel: 01588 672708 FIND OUT MORE 
Adults £10, children £4, under 5s free,

Featuring vintage Land Rover displays and carriage driving, the Shropshire Game and Country Fair is a great day out. The event will also include BASC gun dog events, ferrets, decoy calling demonstrations and muzzle loading. 

SEPTEMBER GAME FAIRS
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Shropshire Game and Country Fair
Date: 19-20 September
Location: Weston Park, Shropshire TF11 8LE
Tel: 01889 563232 FIND OUT MORE  Adult £13.60, children £4,

Details coming soon

Shropshire Game and Country Fair
Date: 26-27 September
Location: Elton Hall, Peterborough, PE8 6SH
Tel: 0844 357 3464 FIND OUT MORE 
Adults £8, OAPs £7, under 16s £3, family £20

Elton Hall is surrounded by beautiful, unspoilt parkland, the ideal place for a game and country fair. Experience fly-casting and sheep shearing and watch the terrier shows or birds of prey displays. 

OCTOBER GAME FAIRS
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Knebworth Game and Country Show
Date: 3-4 October
Location: Knebworth House, Knebworth, Hertfordshire, SG3 6PY 
Tel: 01283 820548 FIND OUT MORE 
Adults £8, OAPs £7, children £4

This year there’s something new at the Knebworth Game and Country Show. A craft village has replaced the usual crafts marquee. Here artists, designers and craftsman can show their wares. In addition to this you can enjoy the ferret zone, falconry village and have a go at target field sports. 

Cheshire Game and Country Show
Date: 10-11 October
Location: Cheshire Showground, Cheshire County Showground, Tabley, Nr Knutsford, WA16 0HJ
Tel: 01283 820548 FIND OUT MORE

Take a look at the dog zone in the Cheshire Game and Country Show. There are mullenscote gundogs, lurchers, terriers and Chase The Bunny for your own pets. There are also equestrian, angling and falconry displays. 

The Robin Hood Game and Country Show
Date: 17-18 October
Location: Newark Showground, Newark, Notts, NG24 2NY
Tel: 01702 549623 FIND OUT MORE 
Adults £10, OAPs/students £7.50, children £3, under 5s Free, family £23

Details coming soon

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