Tel: 01200 445376; Fax: 01200 445379; E-Mail: markets@gisburnauction.co.uk

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The Abbot and Monks of Salle were granted a Royal Charter on the 21^st November 1260 which entitled them to have a Market every week on Monday at their Manor of Giseburn in the County of York and a Fair of three days duration every year. The last of these street fairs was held in Gisburn on the 16^th October, 1911 and was being superseded by the first Auction Mark built by Lord Ribblesdale, part of the original building still being used today as the Newly Calved Heifer shippon. On the 18thMay, 1911 it was leaded by Lord Ribblesdale to Rowland I. Robinson, Land Agent, Henry Jackson, Auctioneer, and Henry Charles Starkie, Farmer, at a yearly rental, plus as royalties, one penny for every head of Cattle, fourpence for every score of Sheep, one penny for every Pig, and sixpence for every Horse, which passed through the ring. Later Messrs. Jackson and Starkie purchased the premises and then in turn sold it to The Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd. who ran it with Edgar Jackson as auctioneer until 1922 when they sold it to the following group of gentlemen: Messrs. C. Bullock, R. Campbell, J.W. Gill, E. Johnstone, H.C. Starkie and A. Tattersall. It then became Gisburn Auction Mart Ltd. and in 1948 Skipton Auction Mart Ltd. purchased a half share and the Name became Gisburn Auction Marts Ltd. under which title it still continues. In 1952 they sold out and a new board of Directors, all men of good farming stock took over. They were Messrs. A. Pickles, (Chairman), J. Aldersley, G.W. Bargh, H. Maude, E. Drake, J.T. Pratt and H.F. Taylor. They appointed Messrs Richard Turner & Son of Bentham, Yorkshire, who were established in 1803, as Auctioneers and Secretaries.

Being situated on the Yorkshire-Lancashire border it has always been a good centre for communication, serving the country lying around the Ribble and its tributaries, and the towns of the West Riding and North East Lancashire. The main road from Preston to Skipton passes the auction gates and the market adjoins the railway. It is in fact the centre of a good road network and has excellent parking facilities which continue to be extended.

Extended is the operative word at Gisburn Auction Mart, for as can be seen from the figures later appended the mart trade has grown rapidly in the past five years and also has the accommodation. Courage and vision together with an insistence of things being done 'reet' (as they would say in Yorkshire and Lancashire) have played a large part in the success of the mart, the turnover in 1952 (£130,662) having reached £2,000,000 in 1959. In 1958 a large aircraft hanger was purchased, transported to Gisburn and is now converted into an excellent building for the Fatstock, housing a Fatstock ring, Calf ring, and shippons capable of holding 300 fat beasts and 400 to 500 calves. Around these rings and the Dairy ring, through which passes on a Thursday an average of 300 newly calved cows and heifers, can be heard dialects from all parts of Yorkshire, Lancashire, Westmorland, Cheshire and even further afield, for customers come from as far away as Cornwall, Lincoln and Devon for the high class of Dairy animals on show.

The rings and shippons are under cover and are designed to create the least possible movement for the stock, The shippons which are the open type give customers an excellent opportunity of inspection of all animals before the sale commences. Lairage is reasonable and a good supply of fodder is always available.

Apart from the stock of Dairy cows and heifers, in-calf cows and heifers, far cows, heifers and bullocks, pigs (fat and store), sheep and lambs and calves which come from the local vicinity, consignments also come from Scotland and the North.

 The Christmas Dairy and Fatstock Shows are now known all over the North and the attractive prizes awarded at these shows result in excellent entries of first quality stock

A public address system is in operation ensuring that everyone present at the mart is conversant with the activities of the day and refreshments facilities in the form of a café are available.

The Sales are fully advertised in the press and farming publication, and application for entry forms etc., should be made the Auctioneers, Bentham, Lancaster.