The Bridgnorth Women's 8 rowing team. From left: Sophie Wright, Lucy Wycherley, Leonie Hudson, Rhiannon Jones, Liz Coalter, Gemma Becke, Katie Howell and Barbara Webb. Pictures by James Watkins

Crowds of people turned out to watch county athletes take to the water for almost 180 races during Bridgnorth’s Primary Regatta on Saturday, writes Sophie Bignall.

Club member Roger Payne was at the starting line. He said organisers had had an amazing response with hundreds of entries.

Scores of people enjoyed the sun in the Severn Park and gathered to watch the 500-metre races which attracted rowers from all over the West Midlands.

Among the competitors were teams from Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury along with rowers from further afield including Hereford, Worcester, Cheltenham and Ross-on-Wye.

The Bridgnorth women’s eight rowers did particularly well. Early reports show it was the first time there had been a win for the women’s racing crew from Bridgnorth.

Mr Payne said: “It was a wonderful day and a great turn out.

He added that there had been a really positive response from entrants and the club had even had too many entries this year.

“It went very well. We had a good day of racing and everyone seemed to be enjoying it.

“It had been very eventful because we were overloaded with entries.

“We had a full car park and had to extend the car park so all in all it was very successful.”

Bridgnorth Rowing Club is the oldest sporting organisation in Bridgnorth and occupies the Maltings on the edge of Severn Park.

The club can trace its roots back to 1865 when it hosted a competition between Shrewsbury School and Cheltenham College. Both school still support the annual regatta.

In the 1920s, the club suffered a decline and eventually disbanded in 1924.

It was reformed in 1953 by a local policeman Constable Bill Williams and a Bridgnorth doctor Dr E L Rhodes.

The club bought the Maltings in 1984.