More than 3,000 people flocked to Calne on Saturday to check out the revamped Castlefields Park.

The Party in the Park was organised by members of the Castlefields Canal and River Park Association, who helped secure the landmark £68,600 lottery grant that made the work possible.

The free event showcased 30 local stalls, a dog show, hog roast, jazz band, ferret racing and boat trips along the canal, to say thank you to supporters.

Castlefields trustee Bill Rowlands said: "It all went brilliantly. We were shocked at how many people turned up to celebrate with us.

"The slight downpour on Friday meant the meadow turned into an interesting parking area but apart from that small snitch it was fantastic.

"Everyone was really impressed with what we have done in the park, with some people saying they didn't even know it existed before.

"Because of the work we did people can now stroll round the entire park and many were saying they had no idea how big the park was.

"Another great thing was a lot of disabled people could explore the park thanks to the work we carried out on the paths.

"We couldn't afford to splash out on expensive disability equipment so it was great to see the work we had done seemed to do the trick.

"All the food stalls sold out so quickly, it was absolutely shocking but great news for the traders.

"Jazz band Four Plus One played all through the day and kept things ticking along. Then the party was brought to a brilliant close by Calne Samba Band.

"We just would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who came along and thanks for all the brilliant feedback.

"We hope more and more people enjoy Castlefields Park in the future, as it truly is one of Calne's hidden gems."

During the celebrations a memorial bench was put up by Ann Shergold, whose son Lewis died aged 20 in a car crash in 2006.

The bench also commemorates Lewis' school friends Lee Winter, who died in 2004 after falling through a factory roof at Portemarsh Industrial Estate, and Danny O'Brien, who died in 2006 after being struck down with a rare neurological virus.

Mrs Shergold said: "I just wanted to have something where their mates could go and think about all three of them.

"It's a lovely place that the boys enjoyed in the past."