Villagers close roads and batten down the hatches as hundreds of travellers arrive for traditional 750-year-old horse fair

Residents of a sleepy Hampshire village have closed the barns as hundreds of travelers arrive for an annual horse fair dating back 750 years.

The Wickham Horse Fair takes place on 20 May each year and sees large numbers of Gypsy and Roma travelers flock to the sleepy village, which is home to just 2,000 people.

On a busy day of trading, groups buy and sell horses and ponies, parading the animals through streets lined with large crowds of fairgoers.

The origin of the event dates back to Roger De Syres’ visit to King George III to establish a weekly market in the village centre. It dates back to the 13th century, when it received a royal charter from Henry VIII.

But it has recently come under criticism from travelers for its treatment of animals, with some horses being put down after competing in the event.

Groups began arriving on Wednesday morning, filling Wickham’s closed streets with dozens of horses, ponies and dogs.

In the footage, young people were seen advancing towards the village on horseback, while others arrived in cars dragged by ponies.

The local council has warned that the village has come to a standstill and some busy roads will remain closed until Thursday morning.

In the event, which dates back 750 years, groups buy, sell and trade horses and ponies while participating in parades

In the village of Wickham, where only 2,000 people live, some main roads will remain closed until Thursday morning.

Dozens of horses lined the streets this morning with temporary stands and fun fairs set up ready for the event

Two travelers are seen riding the pony trap as the event begins

Some travelers came on horseback; A young man wearing a tracksuit was also photographed preparing for the parade.

The A334, A32 between Blind Lane and Titchfield Lane and the busy Fareham and Winchester Roads are just some of the routes closed, while some popular bus routes have also been diverted.

Almost all businesses in the village were closed on Wednesday, except for a chip shop and a bakery.

But Pirate Pastries owner Vicky Herbert, 45, insisted the fair was ‘100 per cent’ positive for the business.

He told the Daily Mail: ‘We’ve been here for almost two years and I live next door so I’m quite local. I was here and thought let’s open next year. Let’s give it a try.

‘Last year I went out and thought yes let’s sell pasties, everyone needs a warm pastie. So we are open and everyone is friendly. Everyone was for us, the community, the local congregation.

‘It has a good impact on business and it’s a good time. ‘Have some fun and take part in the local tradition.’

Julie Churchill, 52, owner of the local fish and chip shop, said: ‘We are often the only place open.

‘We have been here for years. It’s great to see old and new faces.

‘Many groups of travelers we haven’t seen for years say hello; This is very nice.

‘We stay open because everyone needs to be fed. My thoughts overall are, let’s embrace this. Come and see what it’s all about. The more intense the better.

‘Let’s make it bigger again. It’s a tradition; Nobody controls this. ‘He was here and he will stay here.’

Fun fairs, burger vans and other stalls are also setting up shop to make money on the historic day, which is celebrated ‘every year’ with no signs of stopping.

A woman is seen preparing horses for the fair in Hampshire

The ponies and horses were seen tied to a truck near the venue hours before the event started.

Animals were also tied to the fences in the village, where almost all workplaces were closed during the day.

The dogs were also photographed tied to temporary metal fences early Wednesday morning.

The incident has sparked complaints from residents in the past, while others admitted ‘that’s just what happened’

Lee Cookson, who visited the fair for the first time, said: ‘I’m not a gypsy but I love horses and I’m having a nice day out; enjoy your day.

‘He’s really friendly. I know travelers get a bad reputation and chagrin from drivers, but this is just a day to enjoy a years-long tradition of travelers.

‘Many traders here will be grateful for the flow of trade.’

He added: ‘This is a day out with travellers. That’s what they do. That’s what they used to do, wander around.’

The event has been held every year for centuries, except for 2020 and 2021 when there were quarantine regulations.

However, towards the end of those years, it was understood that around 150 people showed up, following a harsh reaction from the police and angry business owners.

One local resident said: ‘I don’t like it and I’m not going. I just stay inside and close my doors and windows. I’m sealing it for him. They closed everything.

‘Thank goodness it’s getting smaller, we just avoid it, it’s not something I want to be involved with. It seems like people have things disappearing afterward, but who knows if it’s related?

‘The places are closed for a reason anyway.’

But some residents have a different view; many greet travelers each year and accept ‘it’s just the way it is’.

A resident living near the center of the action told the Mail: ‘It’s been here for hundreds of years! Normally that’s what we go for, we were into this before that too.

‘But I enjoy watching this, yes I have to move my car but that’s okay. Yes, you’ll occasionally see a few unsavory characters pop up, but that’s for now.

‘They’ve always been nice to me!’