HUNDREDS of travellers have flocked to an enormous centuries old funfair with street horse races and ponies for sale.

The Wickham Horse Fair has been held in The Square in Wickham, Hampshire, for almost 800 years.

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Hundreds of people were pictured basking in the glorious sunshine to watch horses on display and enjoy the funfair today.

Large crowds were seen standing near barriers as others happily rode around on horses.

Traveller families are believed to have started to gather for the Wickham Horse Fair since 1269 and have been returning ever since.

And today was no different as excited men, women and children flocked to the square.

The start of the yearly fair has seen some flying down the street as they participate in street horse races.

Others paraded ponies down the road in a bid to find a willing buyer as excited onlookers watched on.

Describing the event, traveller Sammy Cooper said: “It’s just for the day, we enjoy seeing the horses, enjoy the day with the family.

“It’s changed a bit, but we get some travellers who come here who thinks they are travellers and they’re not.

“But, it’s always been good here, there’s still enough room, the horses keep away from the side.”

Mr Cooper has attended the “very good” day event for as long as he can remember and said he “always has and always will” return.

Another traveller, who asked to remain anonymous, described the outing as “a day for the Gypsy community to all get together”.

Describing the days event, she said: “Normally, the men come in the night before and do deals on the hoses and during the day they do a flash and they show the horses, who got the best one, they buy to sell at the next fair like in Cambridgeshire.”

She added: “I’d say it used to be a lot busier, like years ago, but now it’s not full of only travellers.”

But some travellers bemoaned the fact that the fair had become “commercialised”.

Another attendee, called Andy, has attended the event for over 30 years.

The 50-year-old said: “Well, it used to be a lot better because the horses had a lot more room.

“They could go down and come back the other side but now it’s so much more limited.

“They have turned it into more commercial, into a market and not just a horse event.”

The attendee said it is “more of a market now” and the pathway for the horses is “narrower and shorter”.

On the side of the road, street vendors were selling clothing items next to where the horses were shown.

The road was packed with stalls selling a range of things from baby, and adult clothes, to cleaning products and bedding.

Shoes, colourful balloons, handbags and hats were also on sale.

Food and drink is also on offer to hungry attendees with one stall serving up Yorkshire Pudding wraps.

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As is tradition, this year’s fair is being held on Monday, May 20.

It is customary for the event to take place on May 20 – except when it falls on a Sunday.

Despite being a Monday, the fair was bustling with life and many visitors took it upon themselves to enjoy the warm weather with a pint.

Local Abi O’Toole lives nearby and has attended the event for seven years.

Describing it, the 44 year old mum said: “It’s got a nice atmosphere, there’s nice horses, it’s quite good fun, nice people.

“Everyone’s friendly and it’s good for the kids, people come from all over the country.”

Portsmouth resident Gerald Huntley said he has attended the event since he was a baby.

The 67 year old, who used to buy and sell horses, said: “It’s never changed and all the people know me.

“It’s a good place to have a laugh and game. I used to have about 60 horses.

“I used to have horses but I couldn’t look after them now but I love to come to the fair and see all my mates.

“Some of my mates are from Gosport, they come over and see me every year, some of them are from Bournemouth, some from Southampton.”

The Wickham Horse Fair traces its origins back to when Roger De Syres obtained a royal charter from King Henry III to have a weekly market in 1269.

Over the years this morphed into an annual fair.

Members of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s licensing team spoke to local licensed premises to remind them that the event is taking place and that they could receive increased numbers of customers.

Road closures throughout have meant all local businesses and pubs have closed today.

Wickham Square will be temporarily closed to traffic from 12pm, on Sunday, May 19 and will re-open on Tuesday, May 21 at 10am.

The A334 is closed from the Shell petrol station to Titchfield Lane due to the event.

It will remain shut until 8pm today.

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