A BIDFORD family has donated a lovingly restored gypsy caravan to the Worcestershire County Museum at Hartlebury Castle.

The caravan, a ‘Burton’ wagon, was donated to the museum by the Birch family from Bidford, after Bill Birch spent a number of years restoring it to its former glory.

Mr Birch passed away recently, and the family have been seeking a permanent home for the caravan in his memory.

The van was previously used by the family of a travelling showman and is highly decorative, with two sets of windows, as well as being much larger than most ‘Burton’ caravans.

Rachel Robinson, Hartlebury property manager for Worcestershire County Council, said: "We were very excited about being asked to take on the caravan, it adds another element to our already varied collection. It obviously meant a lot to the family and had been kept in superb condition."

The museum already features several gypsy caravans including bow top, square bow, open lot and ledge style caravans, as well as a particularly elaborately decorated ‘Gypsy Queen’ caravan.