1870. The decline of the Fair was reflected in a letter by C. Cook to the Chelmsford Chronicle which finished with the following statement: "I have understood that this once famed fair has degenerated into a mere suburban beer-garden exhibition, denoting a speedy dissolution." The Brown Papers Volume 2 by Arthur Sketchley, indicated that the once well-behaved crowd were becoming a problem: : "... as to those parties as throws flour and eggs, if they comes my way I'll settle their 'ash, pretty quick, with the police, for I am sure the sight as I were through a-standin' by Mile-end-gate five year ago, to see them a-comin' back from Fairlop Fair, I never shall forget. I was whitenin' and heggs(sic) from top to toe, and everythin' I had on regularly spoiled, as was a lovely black velvet bonnet trimmed with red ribbons, as looked that cheerful in the morning, and was batter pudding at night."

When Fairlop Fair eventually ended the boats were occasionally seen on the road, taking part in events like the Ilford Carnival which started in 1905 to raise funds to build a new hospital.