THE country’s largest one-day rowing event pulled in thousands of visitors to Hexham.

With a total of 290 races on the town’s stretch of the River Tyne, the Hexham Regatta was the biggest event in its history with competitors from across the UK.

Ben Haywood Smith, chairman of regatta organisers Hexham Rowing Club, said: “It was a fantastic team effort by club members and an astonishing achievement. It’s great to see such a mix of so many clubs congregating and enjoying themselves.”

Host club Hexham enjoyed success with both the J15 4x+ boys’ team, made up of James Turnbull, Archie Stewart, Aidan Wright, Gabe Wells-Johnson and coxswain Ciara Duncan, and the WJ15 4x+ girls’ quad, consisting Ciara Duncan, Lucy Thorpe, Eliza Nicholson, Hayley Hannant, and cox Tom Shovlin, winning their events.

Eliza Nicholson and Ellie Watt then teamed up for glory in the WJ15 2x Band Two event.

Hexham’s neighbours, Queen Elizabeth High School, tasted success too with Ivor Evans and Joseph Taylor crowned J14 champions.

The senior women’s coxed four of Katie Chomse, Harriet Hobrough, Nicole and Grace Manning, coxed by Aimee Mather, won their event, while Dan Jones was triumphant in the J16 double alongside a Chester-le-Street rower.

Tom Ludman, Ollie Dixon, Tom Mawson and Abe Parkin won the senior coxless quad event, with Harry Andersen, Tom Archer, Tom Smith and Dan Jones rounding off a successful day in the J18 coxless quad.