MORE THAN 1,000 people gathered in Severn Beach earlier this month for the return of the Severn Festival.

With a live music stage and more than 50 stalls and activities at Severn Beach Village Hall and park, there was something for everyone.

There was also a barbeque, bouncy castles, an animal corner, history exhibitions from the lower Severn Vale area, crazy bikes to try and ride, face painting, craft activities, and lots more.

In the arena there were demonstrations of Tang Soo Do and Zumba as well as a free-to-enter dog show, which proved very popular.

The festival, which grew substantially from last year’s inaugural event, was the creation of the Severn Beach Village Hall committee and Heritage Lottery-funded project A Forgotten Landscape, which aims to conserve and enhance the lower Severn Vale levels, while improving community access to and engagement with the area’s unique natural and cultural heritage.

Katie Scaife, project manager for A Forgotten Landscape, said that the day was ‘really great’, having been blessed with perfect weather, adding that ‘all indicators suggest it will carry on next year and in the years to come’.

The idea also stemmed from the history of the Pilning Festival, and with Severn Beach ‘smack in the middle’ of the project area, Ms Scaife said it made sense to hold it there.

“Our job within the project is to try and organise and facilitate people enjoying the area,” she said, “and so we wanted to have a festival where people could learn in a fun way about the heritage of the area, both natural and cultural, whilst enjoying themselves.

“It is really gratifying to see this go so well, as is to see the things we have helped other people get started continue in such a strong and healthy way.”

To find out more about A Forgotten Landscape, visit aforgottenlandscape.org.uk.