THOUSANDS of festival goers headed for Hawarden at the weekend as the Good Life Experience returned for its fifth year.

Taking place in the picturesque and historic and setting of the Hawarden Estate against the backdrop of two castles, this year's festival enjoyed fine weather and record crowds as revellers flocked to the event's unique combination of music, culture, food and craft over three days in Flintshire.

Video and images by Craig Colville

Co-founded by Cerys Mathews MBE, former front woman of multi-million selling band Catatonia and Charlie and Caroline Gladstone, founders of Hawarden's award winning pub The Glynne Arms and the Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, the festival featured everything from axe throwing, foraging, campfire cooking sessions with world class chefs, mass sing-a-longs, over 40 expert craftspeople, abseiling, a 1930s fairground, tree climbing, poetry, literature and dozens of How To… talks from the likes of Ben Fogle, mushroom expert Roger Phillips and journalist Jack Monroe.

Musical highlights included sets from the Go Team, Roachford, Bill Ryder Jones and legendary DJs Trevor Nelson and Norman Jay.

This year also saw the opening of the festival’s brand new Lake area, complete with Victorian boathouse and picturesque landscaped grounds where artist, educator and outdoor swimmer Vivienne Rickman-Poole led small group swims in the Hawarden Estate’s tranquil lake.

Co-founder Charlie Gladstone said: “At its core the festival can best be defined as The Search for The Good Life; a life that’s fulfilled and considered but is also fun and values the things that matter…. family, friends, a real connection with The Great Outdoors, books, proper food and drink, discovery, music that comes from the soul, great books, craft. All the things that don’t cost a great deal but that make life richer, more rewarding and better fun.”

Cerys added: "To quote The Clash's Joe Strummer, 'we are nothing without people' and that's the case with the Good Life Experience, so I'd like to give a massive thank you to everyone who was part of this weekend of discovery.

"Next year we move closer to the two castles and add more fires, chefs, authors, craft-makers, musicians and and we would like to extend a welcome to everyone reading this to come and join us in 2019. Put the dates in your diaries - I'll see you there."