Festival is nautical but nice

Feeling buoyed up for the summer? Two events on the water come to the county this weekend

The unique spire of St Mary’s Church beckons visitors from across the marshes to the fifth annual Faversham Nautical Festival. Traditional vessels will be mooring up to celebrate all things nautical, with Thames sailing barges, Dutch barges, tugs, smacks and gaffers sailing in for the weekend. They will all be “dressed” making a colourful display, with visitors able to step onboard some of them. On the Town Quay, the Sea Cadets’ medieval warehouse TS Hazard will have stalls, exhibitions, a barbecue, beer tent and live music sea shanties and traditional music over both days. Away from the riverside, take a walk along the unspoilt creek and nearby fields. There will also be stalls, a bouncy castle and face painting on the Front Brents, on the opposite side of the creek. The festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday. For details go to faversham.org/visit_faversham/ nautical-festival.aspx

Elizabethan mariners Jack ‘The Cutit’ Pearce and Samm ‘The Sailor’ Seaman