They gather together and sleep in open fields, surrounded by nature and the stillness of the night. They show up at pagan celebrations, such as the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge, and environmental rallies like Big Green Gathering. You may have seen them setting up camp among the thousands of music fans that gather every year at the Glastonbury music festival, their horses slowly guiding their canvas covered wagons. These are the new age travelers that live simplistically among the landscape of Britain, as depicted by British photographer Iain McKell in his book The New Gypsies. “It’s kind of seductive and attractive and surreal, like stepping into another time,” McKell told The Daily Beast. Their life may seem reminiscent of the Oregon Trail—which it is—but that doesn’t mean they aren’t plugged into the 21st century: solar power and mobile phones are ubiquitous, and the occasional laptop can be spotted. McKell is even friends with a few of the horse-drawn travelers on Facebook. It’s 18th century living combined with 21st century technology.
Courtesy Iain McKell
