PACKED venues and a even a bonfire in Allendale Market Square ensured the 2017 Allen Valleys Folk Festival was a roaring success with music lovers.

The three-day event took place for the fourth consecutive year last weekend, with organisers claiming it had finally come of age.

“It takes time to build a festival like this,” said folk festival committee chairman Peter Aldcroft.

“But once again we have brought some big names to the Allen Valleys, and our festival is now something that people look out for every year.”

This year’s line-up, put together under the guidance of Rob Kitchen, of The Sage, Gateshead, included Scottish folk quartet Fara; fiddle and harp duo Twelfth Day and Northumbrian singer, whistle player and choir leader Kat Davidson.

Peter added: “We had Sam Lee, a big name in the folk world, and he was brilliant. Fara were brilliant, as were Ezza, who produced so much energy while being very humble at the same time.”

Peter said all venues, which included Allendale Village Hall and St Cuthbert’s Church, were packed to capacity.

He added: “There was a wonderful vibe throughout the duration of the festival.

“We also put on 11 workshops, which included everything from broom dancing to woodland management.

“We are delighted with the success of the festival, which has brought so many people to the Allen Valleys and supported our local businesses.”

The festival included a bonfire on Saturday evening, which featured the burning of a wooden wolf.

It was symbolic of the legendary Allendale wolf, which escaped from a Durham zoo over a century ago, before mauling sheep and tormenting farmers and huntsmen who tried in vain to shoot it dead.

Since its inception, the festival has been funded by the North Pennines AONB Partnership’s Allen Valleys Landscape Partnership Scheme.

But the funding programme has now come to an end, which means the festival will be self sufficient next year.