Ellesmere summer festival launches along the canal
A three day summer festival that celebrates the works of local crafters and artists as well as industrial heritage will be held in Ellesmere this weekend.
Activities will be centred around the canal wharf and the historic canal workshops on the edge of Ellesmere that will be open to the public.
The festival begins tomorrow (fri) with a Craft Market in the Market Hall on Scotland Street that will run throughout the three days.
Through the weekend canal traders will be selling their wares along the Llangollen canal from the Wharf and there will be a real ale beer festival at the White Hart Inn.
Saturday sees The Canal and River trust operating a free narrow boat shuttle service from the Wharf to the historic workshops in the fork of the Llangollen canal and the Ellesmere arm. Visitors can also walk there.
At the workshop the forge will be in operation and people can also see the the pattern shop. The building is is where Thomas Telford had his offices when he supervised the construction of the canal from Llangollen.
In the Town Hall on Saturday and Sunday there will be a large Model Railway Exhibition while on Saturday there will be a charity market at the canal wharf, music from The Shropshire Boatmen and a craft workshop in preparation for a performance of George and the Drayton at Stokes' field alongside the canal at 6pm.
On Sunday their will be a combined churches open air service at 10am followed by a classic car show while at the Cremorne gardens there will be a fun dog show at noon.
The Ellesmere Methodist Church will hold a Flower Festival on Saturday and Sunday, culminating in a church service at 5.30pm on Sunday.