Roaming Britain

Gypsies and Travellers once followed routes passed down from generation to generation, returning to the same stopping places in tandem with the seasons and opportunities for work.

Now, stopping places are practically non-existent, and sites are often placed in environmentally hazardous areas – near motorways, industrial estates, and railroad tracks. This threatens their itinerant lifestyles and cultural heritage, and poses significant health risks to sites’ residents.

Roaming Britain guides readers through the long history of nomadic living in Britain. It explores how this way of life manifested in the communities’ homes – both moveable and static – from tents and wagons, to trailers and sites, to bricks and mortar. Looking beyond the elaborate decorations of traditional caravans, it showcases the adaptability, ingenuity, and resilience shared by Gypsy and Traveller communities, and how this informs their creative practices.

Brought to life with stunning archival photography and research, the book is both a celebration of the rich history of nomadic communities in Britain, and an interrogation of how architects, planners and the built environment can better serve them.

Features:

• Photo essay by Romani artist Corrina Eastwood
• Design strategy by Irish Traveller architect Darren Ward
• Previously unpublished material from archives across the UK, including the RIBA Collections.
• With a foreword from Friends, Families and Travellers.

‘A comprehensive summary of the history of the travelling communities in Britain, which explains the value of stopping places and how restricting them erodes the sense of identity and the value of these excluded cultures. It makes it clear that planners should pay attention to culturally appropriate environments and buildings, with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller design committees as part of the system.’ – Baroness Janet Whitaker

Alice Power is a Curator and Cultural Producer. Through her work, she explores social, decorative and architectural histories. Previously, she worked with Architectural Collections at the V&A Museum and on the curatorial development team for V&A East Storehouse. Currently, she is Curator for Newham Heritage Centre, due to open in 2027. Roaming Britain is her debut book.

Lauren Alderton is Assistant Curator at the RIBA Drawings and Archives Collection, and is a graduate of the University of Sussex, holding an MA in Art History and Museum Curating. She is particularly interested in the lesser explored narratives at the intersection of social and architectural histories. Roaming Britain is her debut book.