Rubbish strewn in Hampshire village after conventional travellers truthful
- Crowds gathered in Wickham, Hampshire, today for the annual horse fair
- But piles of waste were left behind including cans, food and horse manure
- The event is one of the oldest of its kind in the UK dating back to 1269
These are the mounds of rubbish that have been left strewn in a Hampshire village after hundreds of travellers descended upon it and raced horses in the streets for a traditional fair.
Members of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities gathered in Wickham today for the annual Horse Fair.
The event – one of the oldest of its kind in the UK – led to pubs and shops shutting in the idyllic rural village ahead of the fair, which is an opportunity to sell and trade horses, as well as for family and friends to meet up, according to revellers.
Now pictures have emerged of the extent of the mess left behind by those taking part in the annual event, with shocking images showing bin bags discarded on pavements and food chucked on the side of the road.
Cans of alcohol could be seen scattered in the middle of the streets of the picturesque Hampshire village after the fair today.
Piles of rubbish pictured strewn across the pavements and streets of Wickham, Hampshire, after the Horse Fair today
Unwanted food and drink could be seen scattered on the pavements after today’s event
Meanwhile, pub benches were covered in bottles, glasses and unwanted food as the clear-up began this afternoon
Bins filled up very quickly across the village with many leaving boxes and bottles beside them as the day wore on
Rubbish pictured scattered all over the pavement and street in Wickham today
Discarded carboard boxes formed piles on the grass beside the village’s roads
Meanwhile, pub benches were covered in bottles, glasses and unwanted food as the clear-up began this afternoon.
Discarded carboard boxes formed piles on the grass beside the village’s roads as volunteers started sweeping up the streets and collecting rubbish.
Horse manure also lined the streets after dozens of stallions came to town to be raced across the village.
And in some areas, pools of liquid gathered from torn rubbish bags and half-full cans which had been tossed during the traditional fair.
Roads, shops and pubs were all closed in preparation for the May 20 event, while fun fairs, burger vans and other stalls also set up shop to cash in on the historic day that has been celebrated ‘every year’ since it was founded in the 13th century.
That includes in 2021, when people descended on Wickham despite the event being cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Wickham Horse Fair is an opportunity to sell and trade horses for members of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities
Pictured: one reveller riding a horse across the town which has seen roads, shops and pubs closed in preparation for the event
Plastic cups and cans of drink pictured strewn in the middle of a road in Wickham today
Horse manure also lined the streets after dozens of stallions came to town to be raced across the village
Straw covered the road in Wickham, which saw hundreds of travellers descend on a sunny afternoon to celebrate a fair which dates back to the 13th century
In some areas, pools of liquid gathered from torn rubbish bags and half-full cans which had been tossed during the traditional fair.
Once the event drew to a close, volunteers started sweeping up the streets and collecting rubbish
Crowds of travellers have descended on Wickham, Hampshire, for a traditional horse fair dating back to 1269
The Wickham Horse Fair falls on May 20 every year, unless that date falls on a Sunday
Pictured: Crowds gather around a horse at the trading event
Some of the town’s main roads have been closed to make way for the one-day event
The Wickham Horse Fair has its roots 755 years when Roger De Syres obtained a royal charter from King Henry III to have a weekly market
Though it started as a weekly market, it soon became the annual fair we see today
Fun fairs, burger vans and other stalls also set up shop to cash in on the historic day
A clothes stall is set up this morning in advance of the fair, attended by hundreds from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities
Smartly-dressed men attend the fair, which is a opportunity to buy and sell horses, as well as gather with other members of the community
Visitors crowd around the back of an open horse box
Police have warned residents that the centre of town will be shut off for the event, as is also the case with many businesses nearby
Sadly, some of the horses taken to today’s event have had to be put down on the day amid the excitement. Someone in an RSPCA jacket is seen overlooking at Wickham
An elderly man watches on in the sun at Wickham Horse Fair on Monday
One man prepares to get on to the procession at the Wickham Horse Fair
Wickham visitors soak up the sun this morning
Visitors look at a couple of the horses brought down to be traded
The Wickham Horse Fair falls on May 20 every year, unless that falls on a Sunday, and dates back 755 years, when Roger De Syres obtained a royal charter from King Henry III to have a weekly market.
That weekly market went on to become the annual fair as it is known today, held mainly on the town square – which has been shut from midday yesterday and will remain so until 10am tomorrow.
For this year’s edition, pubs closed as early as midday yesterday to avoid an unmanageable influx of customers.
Police have said they will be working with local stakeholders to ensure the event is safe and enjoyable for everyone.
The launch of the event was met with a number of horses being raced down the streets of Wickham while others were paraded through the town, including small ponies.
There will also be more officers on the ground to engage with visitors and respond to any issues which may arise.
Aside from horses, visitors at the event this year are selling clothes, bedding and cleaning products.
Sadly, some of the horses taken to today’s event have had to be put down on the day amid the furore.
Members of the RSPCA have been seen amongst the crowds.
Today’s event comes two weeks before the famous Appleby Horse Fair, which sees thousands descend on Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria each year.
Last June’s fair saw revellers taking their horses for a wash in the River Eden which runs through the town, while aerial photos showed fields packed with caravans as gypsies arrived in convoys of traditional horses and carts.
Cumbria Police has struggled in recent years to ensure the safety of the event, and last summr some locals alleged travellers were behind thefts from a local Co-Op in a nearby town that left store staff ‘badly shaken’.
During the pandemic, the event was banned due as lockdown was imposed on the country.
In 2020, around 25 caravans parked up overnight close to the small town in Hampshire, but were disappointed to find a heavy police presence in the area, reportedly stopping travellers from trading their horses.
The organisers of the annual Horse Fair confirmed it would not take place that year to help contain the outbreak of COVID-19.
Winchester City Council and Hampshire Constabulary confirmed they fully supported the decision ‘to ensure the health of all members of the community.’
There were fears earlier in May 2020 that the royal charter for the fair would be cancelled if no-one attended the event, but this was debunked by the local council.
However, in 2021, up to 150 people were understood to have turned up, in a move slammed by police and angry business owners.
A man leads his horse to the Wickham Horse Fair this morning
Ponies and horses are also raced at the event as visitors watch on
Two men lead a white horse along a closed road in Wickham, Hampshire, today
RSPCA members, looking out for the safety of the horses, are seen walking with some of the Wickham Horse Fair visitors
A young man runs alongside a horse ahead of crowds gathered for the Wickham Horse Fair
A man is pulled through the fair by a small pony
An attendee leads a horse through the crowds in Hampshire this morning
Horses roped up outside one of Wickham’s closed shops today
A boy teeters off balance riding a horse through Wickham today
Crowds surround a horse in the town as the horse fair gets in full swing
Visitors watch on as horses and ponies to be traded are led down the street
Ponies and horses in all shapes and sizes are brought out for the day
A man chats with another attendee at the fair
Wickham Horse Fair also has fairground rides and food stalls to entertain the gathered crowds
The agreed plan had been to hold a small, symbolic event involving ‘one or two horses’ to maintain the tradition of the festival.
Police had already closed roads anticipating an attempt to run the event anyway, meaning that local businesses missed out on their usual footfall.
It was back in full force in 2022 with thousands of attendees – and the following two years seem to have been as popular as ever.
