CROWDS enjoyed a taste of the Royal Welsh Show at Chepstow Castle at the weekend.

More than 1,000 people attended the Countryside Comes to Town event which took place on Saturday in the castle grounds. The event was organised by the Gwent feature county committee as part of their fundraising efforts for the Royal Welsh Show 2015.

The history of the feature county dates back to the show's beginning when the location changed year on year. Each year a county in Wales in selected to raise funds for a particular project for the show.

Gwent is this year's Royal Welsh Show feature county and is raising money to improve the equine facilities at the showground in Builth Wells.

Visitors to the castle grounds witnessed sheep shearing and a dog show. There was also poultry exhibit and a fancy dress competition with the theme of farmers and landowners through the ages.

Dr Glyn Jones, organiser, said: "There have been a lot of people coming through all day - I am very pleased. When I was part of the Ceredigion committee in 2010, I organised a taste of the Royal Welsh on the promenade in Aberystwyth.

"Everyone thought I was a bit mad but it brought a flavour of the show to the people."

There were performances from Leesa Cartwright who sang lullabies with her puppets for the children. The Chepstow Castle Singling Club led by Karl Daymond performed Sosban Fach and Old Macdonald.

Cllr Ned Heywood, mayor of Chepstow, said: "It is a very nice event. The whole town is buzzing today with this and the market on the high street."

Honor Gilbert, 57, of Devauden Green's Women's Institute, took part in a flower arranging demonstration which were raffled off on the day. Her flower decoration of a champagne bottle to mark the centenary of the WI has gone through to the finals of the Royal Welsh Show's flower arranging competition.

The Gwent Feature County team won the tug of war competition against the Wentwood Young Farmers Club. The Royal Welsh' chief executive Steve Hughson and deputy Aled Jones arrived at the event after canoeing from Monmouth to Whitebrook and cycling the rest of the way to Chepstow.

They are completing a number of challenges to raise money for the show.

Christie Murphy, 65, of Bulwark, Chepstow, said: "It has been very entertaining. My three-year-old granddaughter Sky has loved seeing all the animals.

"Her favourite has been the sheep and she's had her photo taken in the police car."