Angry motorists were left stuck in a two-mile traffic jam after two travellers with their horses and traditional caravans made their way toward Appleby Horse Fair.
Dashcam footage captured by a driver in the opposite direction shows the tailback caused by the men, who seemed undisturbed by the snaking traffic in their wake.
The two caravans moved along slowly towards the famous fair while more than 100 cars, lorries and vans built up behind them.
Angry motorists were left stuck in a two-mile traffic jam after two travellers with their horses and traditional caravans made their way toward Appleby Horse Fair
Dashcam footage captured by a driver in the opposite direction shows the tailback caused by the men, who seemed undisturbed by the snaking traffic in their wake
The annual horse fair is a popular gathering where members of the travelling community come together to show off their horses and trade them.
Records reference horse fairs in a charter from Henry II’s reign in the 12th century but travellers maintain the tradition far predates even that.
While travellers have been flocking to the annual Appleby Horse Fair, which opens today, since its formation 1775.
The two caravans moved along slowly towards the famous fair while more than 100 cars, lorries and vans built up behind them
The annual horse fair is a popular gathering where members of the travelling community come together to show off their horses and trade them
The fair in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, typically welcomes 10,000 gipsies and travellers as well as 20,000 other people.
Although the fair has earlier origins, it first became a major event with travellers and gipsies in the 1900s.
This year, 31 RSPCA officers have been deployed are in attendance alongside representatives from various equine charities.
Records reference horse fairs in a charter from Henry II’s reign in the 12th century but travellers maintain the tradition far predates even that.The fair in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, typically welcomes 10,000 gipsies and travellers as well as 20,000 other people
One traditional that was stopped last year due to bad weather made it’s return this year, as horses took a dip in the River Eden in order to cool off.
The ritual began in the 17th century as a way of washing the horses and making them more presentable for potential buyers.
A man pictured riding a cart pulled by a horse leaves the water in Appleby-in-Westmorland ahead of the fair
All smiles: a man and a child emerge from the water after cooling off in the water
Two travellers arriving early in Appleby for the horse fair event, branded the biggest in Europe, riding on a cart