VISITORS flocked in their thousands to spend their Bank Holiday at a show in the remote part of the Yorkshire Dales today.

Last year the date of the historic Reeth Show was moved to the August Bank Holiday and attracted three times its usual number of visitors - up from approximately 3,000 to between 8,000 and 9,000.

This year the show organisers expanded the show into an extra field adding another showing ring and marquees along with extra stands.

And despite heavy rain being forecast the show organisers estimated they had attracted a similar sized crowd.

There was drystone walling competition, driving classes, vintage tractors and cars, pony classes and horse-riding entertainment by Riders of the Storm.

Reeth Show also hosts a national fell-running contest which takes the runners up Fremington Edge and back again. The race is a fixture on the British open fell runners association calendar.

Vice president Syd Bainbridge said “There’s over 100 runners in the senior race this year. Apparently this year there’s a lot of good runners who want to try band break the old records.”

The record for completing the course was last year broken by Ted Mason from Appletreewick at 15 minutes 25 seconds.

There was also a record number of home-made wines and gins in the produce tent, with bramble whisky, redcurrant gin, crabapple wine and “shrub” gin, forming the exhibits.

Steward Mark Jones said: “The judges were really impressed with the homemade wines and spirits this year. They were also a good quality; very clear with no cloudiness.”

The sheep classes are always well-attended in this traditional hill sheep farming area. Will Porter, 21, who works at his family’s farm, in Low Row near Reeth, won the overall Swaledale champion in the sheep classes.

“It makes it a bit special to win in Swaledale,” he said.