On Sunday, they came in their thousands, armed with macs and brollies, laying out their plastic-backed rugs and picnics on the damp grass in the natural amphitheatre in front of the two stages.
The morning brought rain – lots of it – but it had more or less cleared by the time veteran Martin Simpson took to the stage at 1pm.
He and, later, John Renbourn represented the folk old guard. Their delicate, intricate guitar playing, gruff avuncular voices and wry observations lulling the audience into a mood of quiet contemplation. But there were plenty of young upstarts as well.
Little Sister, with their kazoos, animal impressions and quirky songs got feet tapping and hands clapping.
Then 15-piece Birmingham band The Destroyers came on stage like a musical fireball, which a few spots of rain failed to douse.
Part carnival, part Balkan wedding band, their phonetic rhythm had the crowd up and bouncing – not bad for a muggy, Sunday afternoon.
Local group The Urban Folk Quartet experimented with a variety of beats. And, as afternoon merged into evening, crowds grew larger, the two stages side-by-side ensuring a swift changeover between bands.
In the gathering gloom, the trees framing the stage bathed in a fluorescent green glow, former Mercury Awards nominees The Unthanks brought us beautifully melancholy ballads with a Geordie lilt.
Then, after Cut A Shine presided over a mass hoedown, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain brought the curtain down on three days of great music.
