Exhibition about Romany Gypsies to be staged at East Boldre

Its wild nature satisfied all their needs by providing an abundance of medicinal plants and wild game, plus an ample supply of fresh water.

Some stayed in the area all year round while others spent every summer in Kent, where they earned good money picking fruit and hops.

In 1926 parts of the Forest were turned into official gypsy sites, which meant they could no longer roam and camp where they chose.

One of the seven compounds created by the Forestry Commission - now Forestry England - was at Shave Green, near Minstead.

An exhibition about the Romany Gypsies who lived in the New Forest is being staged at East Boldre in May (Image: Supplied)

Twenty years later a report published by the New Forest Committee said gypsies were living in appalling conditions similar to those that existed in the Stone Age.

Local authorities started moving them into council houses and barracks that had been used by the military during the Second World War.

READ MORE: New Forest couple's traditional gypsy wagon was rebuilt with loving care

Now a three-day exhibition about Romany Gypsies and the contribution they made to Forest life is to be staged at East Boldre village hall, starting on May 25.

Billed as the first event of its type in the area, it aims to reveal 500 years of "overlooked" local history.

An exhibition about the Romany Gypsies who lived in the New Forest is being staged at East Boldre in May (Image: Supplied)

The co-curator, Rebecca Johnson, said: "The exhibition will document the arrival of Romany Gypsies in England, their history and culture, and their lasting connections to the area. 

"This will include the more challenging aspects of their history, such as when they were put into compounds.

READ MORE: Fitting tribute to 87-year-old woman who was at the heart of gypsy community

"We hope it will educate people and dispel ignorance through celebrating a culture that has been integral to the New Forest.

"We also hope that local people researching their family history, or those with Romany connections, can come along."

One of the compounds created for gypsies in the 1920s was near Minstead, in an area known as Shave Green (Image: Supplied)

Gypsies often made ends meet by selling baskets, clothes pegs, and other items that could be produced using materials they collected in the Forest.

They lived in primitive shelters known as "benders", which were made from flexible branches that were stuck into the ground before being bent and woven together.

The resulting dome was covered by blankets and tarpaulins, with a hole left above fires used for cooking and warmth.

The New Forest Committee report said: "While the standard of living throughout the country is steadily being raised, a group is allowed to live in the Forest which has hardly reached the standard of the Stone Age.

"We have visited their camps and we should hesitate to describe them in detail."