More than 19,000 people gathered in an Oxfordshire field to enjoy one of the region's biggest music festivals - blessed with the best, and worst, of the English summer.

Campers from around the UK descended on the village of Cropredy, near Banbury, for three days of music and dancing - with a heavy emphasis on folk.

And over the course of the festival, they were dished up sun, blue skies, cloud, rain and mud.

The event, popularly known as the Cropredy Festival, is run by fans of the folk-rock band Fairport Convention - who provided a finale on Saturday night, with a three-hour set of their favourite tunes.

As tradition dictates, the festival rounded off with a mass sing-along to the band's anthem Meet on the Ledge.

Highlights of the festival were Wheatley 'Britpop' band Supergrass, who played on Thursday; anarchist folk-rockers The Levellers, who headlined on Friday; Midge Ure, of 80s band Ultravox; and Fairport Convention themselves - including sets by individual members scattered throughout the festival.

Special guests included Robert Plant of rock band Led Zeppelin, who performed his song The Battle of Evermore; and BBC Radio 2 DJ Mark Radcliffe, whose band, the Family Mahone, performed on Friday, but who stayed behind to soak up the atmosphere - and to sample the real ale from the festival bar.

But it was a visibly impressed Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes who summed up the mood, telling the crowd: "It's nice here isn't it... We might come back!"

Supergrass in action Supergrass in action While Saturday's rain-battered campers saw some parts of the site churned into mud, festival-goers said the weather hadn't spoiled their enjoyment.

Apparently, the event also proved to be crime-free, with no reports of thefts made to organisers.

Festival Director Gareth Williams said he was looking forward to a break, and a bath, after a hectic three days.

He said: "The festival was absolutely fabulous. It was all quite overwhelming. There was an amazing vibe this year. It's funny: it's something you can't predict or plan, but everyone had a smile on their face, even when they were dancing in the rain.

"There were quite a few highlights: Julie Fowlis was lovely, The Legend playing Bob Marley hits in the rain was good, and Fairport Convention were great, of course.

"We took a bit of a risk with Supergrass, and I had been trying for years to get them, but they went down really well - and we'd certainly have them back.

"Then The Levellers absolutely stormed it on Friday. Robert Plant is an old friend of the band and it was also great to have him here."

He said it had taken a whole week to set up the site, and that it would take three days to return it to farmland.

"I have already already starting working on next year's festival," he added.

The festival is an annual highlight for the local area, and brings in money to local pubs and charities. Tickets are also donated to Cropredy and neighbouring parish councils. The tickets are then sold to local people to raise money for good causes.

Chef Gordon Husband, from North Oxford, was enjoying his first Cropredy Festival. He said: "It has been great - though the weather could have been better. On Saturday, we had three seasons in one day. But it didn't really spoil it."

Among those enjoying the music was Annabelle Palmer, 22, from Hurst Street, East Oxford, who said: "I loved it! The atmosphere was amazing. It was a really relaxed family festival. Everyone was skipping around and being happy.

"The best band was The Levellers. They were amazing, and put on an awesome show. But the thing I enjoyed most was the aggressive country dancing."

She added: "I love the fact there is only one stage at Cropredy, so everyone is listening to the same thing at the same time."

Also camping was Vincent Long, from East Oxford, who said: "I loved it to bits.The Levellers are an amazing band and were worth coming to see on their own."