Bristol's Knowle West estate came to a halt yesterday for the funeral of local man Barry Pool, described as a gentle giant whose life revolved around horses.

Mr Pool had a gipsy wagon in the yard at the back of his house, he bred horses, and he had paintings of horses on the side of his scrap merchant's lorry.

He also loved Knowle West. He was born there, and spent his life there.

Yesterday, the south Bristol estate came to a standstill, as horse-drawn wagons filled the streets to accompany Barry on his final journey.

Cars halted at kerbsides, and people stood in respectful silence on pavements to watch the procession of five carriages, led by two black horses with black-feathered plumes pulling a glass carriage bearing Mr Pool's coffin.

The procession set off from 97 Novers Park Drive in Knowle West, where Mr Pool was born on October 27, 1950, the second of three sons of Maud and Bertie Pool.

It then made its way to Mr Pool's family home in Novers Park Road, where he lived with his wife Tracey and sons Jason and James.

They were driven in an open horse-drawn wagon from their home to St Barnabas Church on Daventry Road, with Tracey holding a single long-stemmed red rose.

So many mourners had gathered to pay their respects that some had to stand because there were not enough seats in the church, while others stood in the porch because it was so crowded inside.

The Rev Alister Palmer told them: "Barry was loved and respected not only by his family, but by the community of Knowle West." He added that Barry – a familiar figure at the Romany horse fairs at Priddy in Somerset and Appleby in Cumbria – was hard-working with a great sense of responsibility towards his family and friends.

"He was very generous and would give what money he had to see others enjoy themselves on horses...he was a very recognisable figure wherever he went – a gentle giant, always there for everyone."

After the funeral service, the horse-drawn procession – which included a Shetland pony called Noddy pulling a miniature carriage – made its way to Bristol South Crematorium, where family members threw long-stemmed red roses into Mr Pool's grave.

His widow Tracey, a lay minister, said afterwards that she believed he would have been surprised to have been given such an impressive send-off.

"He was a real gentle giant – a humble man who probably would have been quite happy to have been driven here on the back of a lorry," she said.

"I think he'd have been very proud to think that so many people, and their horses, turned out to pay their respects to him."

Barry, who worked as a driver with Chard's Builders Merchants in later years, died aged 59, on November 23. He had been ill for a number of years as a result of complications with diabetes.

He was admitted to Bristol Royal Infirmary in April, but his health deteriorated and apart from one week at home he remained hospitalised until his death.

Mrs Pool, who met Mr Pool in 1974, said: "As with many people in Knowle West, horses were an huge part of Barry's life.

"When he was a boy, he would go around in a horse and cart collecting pig swill with his friends.

"When he got older he spent much of his time buying horses, carts and gipsy wagons with his brothers Tony and Stephen. He had an eye for a good cob and Priddy Sheep Fair was the highlight of every year."

She said he was a well-known figure at the fair, and would sit on a wall with his stick chatting to passers-by.

He was also the inspiration behind her decision to set up the Grassroots Urban Horse and Pony Club, which aims to build upon the horse culture that is a unique feature of life on the Knowle West estate, where many residents own and ride horses.

"Barry was very much a man of the land, and he helped me to connect with the land and with horses," she said.

"I want to bring that to others through Grassroots, and by working to create an equestrian academy in Knowle West.

"Even when he was so ill, Barry was totally committed to this vision as he understood how much it could benefit people. Now, I'm more determined than ever to make it a reality."