MORE than 700 people celebrated the 200th anniversary of Pocklington Canal during a fun-packed weekend of events and activities.

Cared for by waterways and wellbeing charity Canal & River Trust in partnership with Pocklington Canal Amenity Society (PCAS), the nine-and-a-half mile canal is an important part of the local community, providing people with a place to relax and wildlife with space to thrive.

Over the weekend of July 28 and 29, hundreds of local residents and visitors enjoyed the bicentenary celebrations organised by the charity’s staff and dozens of passionate volunteers, and made possible thanks to the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund.

People got involved on the towpath and on water.

Ebor Morris, the South Pennine Handspike Dance Team and the Driffield Silver Band provided the musical entertainment; Rusticus performances brought the canal's characters back to life; Green Underwing Wildlife Education showcased the wildlife of the canal; Kirklees Adventurous Activity Team got people on the water on coracles; PCAS got people on the water on the New Horizons trip boat and also organised the boat rally and barbecue; Dragon Willow was joined by 65 people to help weave a horse community sculpture, now named Storm after the weather; and Yorkshire Community Archaeology got people uncovering the canal's heritage through an archaeological dig.

Celebrations also took place earlier in the week with the official opening of Thornton Lock following a restoration project by PCAS, which made a further two miles of the canal navigable for the first time in a century, and the official unveiling of the Green Flag Award, recognising Pocklington Canal as one of the country’s top open spaces.