Growing crowds at the Rickmansworth Folk Festival are fuelling plans to expand it into a weekend-long event.

The festival dominated five different sites across the town on Saturday, July 18 and organisers said crowds had almost doubled compared to last year.

The day’s entertainment included five Morris Sides and 14 different folk singers or groups at Basing Square, outside Watersmeet, High Street, St Mary’s Church, Church Street, Batchworth Lock, Church Street, The Feathers, Church Street and the White Bear in Harefield Road.

Folk legend Julie Felix took centre stage at a concert in St Mary’s Church from 7.30pm.

As many as 200 people were at individual stages throughout the day.

Michael Stimpson, chairman of Rickmansworth Folk Festival, said: “It was a brilliant day. We are still counting the money raised during the day, but it looks like we are going to break a profit, and this will be donated to charity.

“There was a brilliant atmosphere throughout the day. The weather was perfect for us. Julie Felix’s performance was very good and the church was full for it.

“She did it last year and she has already said she will come back next year. We are thinking about putting her on the Friday night and having Ceileh on the Saturday night.

“We have seen an increase of between 50 and 100 per cent in the number of people coming to the coming.”

Mr Stimpson added there were plans to grow the festival even further with growing numbers of people visiting the festival each year.

He added: “Next year, we are hoping to hold the festival over two days and eventually, the idea is to have folk festival weekend.”

Chairman of Three Rivers District Council Eric Bishop opened the event outside Watersmeet before Morris dancers began performing.