When decorative artist Tess Newall and her husband, Alfred, a furniture-maker, were restoring their cottage in the South Downs, they rented another on the nearby Firle estate.
In the garden was an old wagon used as overflow accommodation and for entertaining. ‘It was falling apart, but our three children loved it — and we did, too. We asked if we could take it on,’ says Alfred.
The wagon has since been both a labour of love and a source of creative inspiration for his new collection of furniture, Caravan, and their shared interest in folk art.
The Newalls enlisted the help of wagon dealer and restorer Rollo Dunford Wood.
(Image credit: Simon Brown)
The first challenge was to track down a wheelwright who could move the wagon and embark on a process of repair — no mean feat, as there’s a dwindling number of artisans capable of working in such a wide range of timbers; elm on the hub that connects the axles, ash on the legs that create stability and oak on the felloes, the outer rim of the wheel.
Today, so-called ‘vardo art and living wagon crafts’ are listed as ‘endangered’ on the Heritage Crafts red list. Once these were fixed, there was still the question of the body of the wagon, which was in poor condition. For help, the couple enlisted the wagon dealer, restorer and cabin-maker Rollo Dunford Wood.
The restoration of the structure took a few years and then it was time to make it their own. ‘We both felt that we didn’t want to directly copy any Romany gipsy wagons — we wanted to use our own designs,’ explains Tess. ‘I love the research element to decorative painting. I’m inspired by the humanity in folk art — it was always carried out by people who were self-taught, rather than professional artists, whose tools included pine cones, sponges or potatoes. There’s a lovely simplicity to the designs, which isn’t overthought. It was painted to live with rather than to impress and the approach feels very pure.’
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The limited palette is part of the tradition and the Newalls used a supplier that specialises in paints for canal barges. For decorative inspiration, Tess looked at European and Scandinavian folk art. ‘I love painted armoires from Dalarna, Sweden, which I reference a lot in my work, as well as Swedish Mora clocks. They are painted with simple motifs repeated. The overall effect looks beautiful.’
A set of Transylvanian plates displayed in the wagon also inspired some of the decorative paintwork. Nothing was done with too much caution, so flicks of brush hair and smudges are visible. ‘It’s a wagon made largely of wood, which deteriorates quickly in the elements, so it needs a certain amount of upkeep,’ explains Alfred, ‘but it’s not a question of keeping it shipshape. When things look perfect, it feels out of kilter with the romance.’ Neither sees the product of their labours as something that will stand still in time: scratches will be made and further layers of paint and design will gradually be added. ‘Traditionally, those who lived in these wagons would paint them every few years as part of the upkeep. When a wagon changes hands, a new story begins. We see ourselves as custodians until the wagon’s next chapter,’ he adds.
(Image credit: Simon Brown)
The photographer Simon Brown boasts an encyclopaedic knowledge of the world of wagons. Much like the Newalls, his introduction to the subject happened by chance, when he spotted a small ad in the back of The Observer.
His wagon is a Thomas of Gloucester ‘Burton’ style, painted in a rich, glossy red. It was built in about 1890 and is known as the ‘Cody Wagon’ because it is reputed to have formed part of the entourage of Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show, which toured the UK and Europe eight times.
Inside, there is a sleeping area and on the left is a tiled wood-burning stove, positioned so the chimney above is less likely to be damaged by low-hanging branches when on the move. The wagon is decorated with simple motifs and pastel fabrics by the historic USA textile brand Rose Cumming and, like the Newalls’ wagon, it required a not inconsiderable amount of work to keep in shape over the decades.
Sadly, for those keen to explore the history of wagons, historical documentation is sparse; Simon recommends The English Gypsy Caravan, written in 1973 by C. H. Ward-Jackson and Denis Harvey, as the only authoritative book.
‘In the last half of the 19th century, there was a number of these colourful horse-drawn wagons built by travelling people who made their money by taking goods and trades around the countryside,’ explains Simon. ‘Whatever extra they earned, they would often put back into the wagons. This period was very short, however. Once petrol and traction engines came along, everything got bigger, and they weren’t as decorative.’
Types of wagon
There are about four main styles of living wagon:
- Reading Named after the town where they were built, and elaborately decorated
- Ledge Here, the robust body extends over the large rear wheels, with overhanging porches and an arched roof
- Bow-top More of an entry-level wagon and probably the most recognisable, it features a round canvas top on a bowed wood frame
- Burton Particularly popular with people of the circus and families of showmen, thought to be the oldest type of wagon used as a home in Britain. A raised skylight, known as a mollycroft, provides more standing height and the wheels sit beneath the wagon’s body
Interior designer and creative director of Firmdale Hotels Kit Kemp is another accidental wagon owner. ‘One of my daughters was doing a dry-stone walling course in Dorset and I had stopped at a reclamation yard on my way to visit her just to see what was on offer. It was a fateful decision. The wagon was almost waiting for me, complete with a patterned carpet and velvet curtains. I paid for it there and then and remember leaving thinking I was probably going out of my mind.’
It now stands in the garden of her home in Hampshire and has become a playhouse for her grandchildren. ‘The end of the garden has become something of an encampment: when I’m ancient, I’m going to move in with a biscuit tin and a kettle,’ she says.
Throughout her career, Kit has been a champion of folk art and craft, which she believes gives enormous visual and emotional pleasure. ‘There’s something about the old journeyman idea that really appeals to me. They would travel the country and paint on the spot, leaving blotches of paint and smudges along the way. I’ve always been attracted to folk art, be it from India, Eastern Europe or Guatemala and prefer things to look handmade.’
The artistic expression embedded in the designs of a traditional wagon — the ornate carvings and colours that are not only decorative, but also often represent a family’s identity and heritage — is endlessly fascinating to Kit. ‘It’s a physical form of family storytelling which these old wagons do so well.’
This feature originally appeared in the April 8, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.
