Moat race and river football match highlight Bank Holiday traditions

A boat race in a moat and a football match in a river were among the unusual activities going on around the country on Bank Holiday Monday.

As sun worshippers up and down the country made the most of the weather on another record-breaking day of hot temperatures, others found more active ways to spend the day.

In Somerset, teams of adventurous rowers took to the water to compete in the Wells Moat Boat Races.

The annual event, which is in its 18th year, sees competitors battle it out on homemade rafts as they race around the moat at Bishop’s Palace.

Another watery contest took place in nearby Gloucestershire in the shape of the Football In The River match at Bourton-on-the-Water.

The 30-minute five-a-side game was played out between Bourton Rovers 1st XI and 2nd XI, with the first team emerging 2-1 winners.

More than 1,000 spectators watched from the banks of the River Windrush to witness an event which has reportedly taken place annually for more than 100 years.

On dry land, there was a soapbox race on one of York’s most famous streets.

Forty teams raced their brightly coloured homemade carts along the cobbles in the Micklegate Run Soapbox Challenge in what has become a big charity event in the city.

Meanwhile a more traditional form of entertainment was on show at the Countess Of Warwick’s Show in Essex.

Traditional English morris dancing was among the events at the show in Little Easton, along with tug of war, a dog show and a ploughing match.