In May 2025, Culture in Common commenced on a year-long project, working with local historians and members of the local Gypsy Romany community to present a touring New Forest Romany Heritage exhibition with events, in the Summer of 2026.
The exhibition took place at Boldre and Thorney Hill, offering visitors an opportunity to reflect on local Romany Gypsy life through photographs, crafts and performance. The exhibitions also sensitively marked the opening of the controversial New Forest Gypsy compounds a century ago.
The response from the local community was positive, with almost 1,000 people attending across two weekends. Over the course of the project, we collected verbal and written feedback from exhibition visitors, with many appreciating the complexity of the displays, and valuing the ability to explore family history:
- “Great day with my dad as he was placed in the compound and then the huts in 1949.”
- “We’ve loved this…it’s so great to see all the photos. We’ve been trying to trace our family line and it’s not easy but seeing these pictures is helpful.”
- “A magical moment introducing families with ancestors from Longdown compound – they’d never met, but knew exactly who each other were. Wonderful!”
- “Brilliant! Wanted to find out more about ‘our mob’ and so good to see them in photos.”
- “Brilliant exhibition to celebrate a history that could be overlooked. Well done everyone involved.”
Background
In 1926, the Forestry Commission introduced the Compound System in the New Forest, a policy designed to forcibly settle Gypsy and Traveller families into designated areas or ‘compounds’. The system has since been widely regarded as controversial, as it disrupted cultural practices, imposed external control over living arrangements, and contributed to long-term mistrust between Gypsy communities and authorities. There are reportedly up to 10,000 settled Romany Gypsy families currently living in the New Forest today.
The 2025-26 project aimed to bring people from the community together to discover their ancestors, for young people to learn more about and tell the story of their cultural heritage, and to inform and educate other residents of the New Forest to promote better understanding of the challenges faced by this community today.
Since this exhibition’s first outing in 2024, the display had added 300 more images (800 in total) that spoke to lived experience, family history and community memory in the New Forest. Alongside the photographs and information, there were craftspeople showcasing equestrian paintings, Romany models, vardos, peg-making, basket-weaving and traditional step dance. An exhibition booklet was popular with visitors and there were also wider information stands from Romany & Travellers Family History Society and Kushti Bok.
A poignant Candle-Lighting Ceremony marked the culmination of the project with readings, songs and poetry written and presented by members of the community, to remember ancestors that had lived and passed on the compounds.
