The wagon is fitted out with examples of traditional gypsy crafts

The Varda caravan project had made it to a final four fighting for the Gulbenkian Prize.

Housed in an old fashioned gypsy caravan it draws on the experiences of the county's Romany population - its largest ethnic minority group.

The winner revealed at a ceremony at London's Royal Academy was the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh for its Landform exhibition.

It is a real achievement for a small service like ours that has to work in a county as large as this Museum's officer Liz McIvor

The judging panel, chaired by broadcaster Loyd Grossman, had visited the Pembrokeshire project twice while whittling down an original shortlist of 13 to the four finalists.

Newcastle's Museum of Antiquities and the Norton Priory Museum in Runcorn were also in the running.

The project began when Beverley Stephens, a specialist teacher of gypsy pupils at Monkton Priory School, approached Pembrokeshire's Museum Service about displaying children's work on gypsy history.

The Romany community was asked for its input and it was decided to house it in a traditional horse-drawn wooden wagon - the varda.

It was fitted out with collections and examples of traditional gypsy crafts reflecting the customs, rites of passage, employment, cooking, music, art and language of the culture.

Family photographs

It is based at the county museum at Scolton Manor but has travelled to various sites in the county.

Members of the Romany community have recorded their memories and donated family photographs for display.

Museum's officer Liz McIvor said: "We are absolutely delighted to reach the final four.

"It is a real achievement for a small service like ours that has to work in a county as large as this."

Now in its second year, the Gulbenkian Prize for Museum of the Year aims to recognise the most original new development in a museum or gallery, large or small, anywhere in the UK.