THE RAMSBURY Country Fair sold out twice over as more than 2,000 people descended upon Hilldrop Farm to help raise £30,000 towards a new village pre-school.

From 11am-5pm, the hoards of attendees enjoyed pig racing, axe throwing, archery, falconry, a tug of war, dog demonstrations, segway racing, a classic car show, live music and an indoor village fete in a monumentally successful day.

This capped off the Ramsbury Week extravaganza, which also involved a cycling sportive, a concert, a May Ball, a scavenger hunt and a three-day hike from Streatley to Avebury which collectively attracted more than 1,000 people and raised another £100,000 towards helping Ramsbury Pre-School move away from the Memorial Hall to a new home.

"It took a phenomenal amount of effort from around 75 people to make this all come together but I have to say it was an unbelievable success. To raise around £130,000 from Ramsbury Week is a dream come true," said Hilldrop Farm owner Tim Eliot-Cohen.

"I cannot thank everyone enough for their incredible support. For the country fair we had around 1,000 wrist bands but more than double that amount of people turned up, it was amazing - Ramsbury was heaving.

"We got rather fortunate with the weather but even when it did hammer it down people were undeterred and kept on going.

"There was so much to do, everybody loved it. The place was a sight to behold. The amount of positive feedback we have received is extraordinary. We have been hard at work for months now. It has been pretty exhausting but it has been so worthwhile.

"To think that we are now three quarters of the way towards the £425,000 target is brilliant. We smashed our targets again and again and that is all down to the generosity of the community.

"Trying to raise funds for a very localised charity such as the Ramsbury Pre-School is a challenge in itself; but having been born here and lived in the village ever since, perhaps this is the worthiest cause of them all."

For the Magical Morning Concert on Monday in the main marquee at the farm, the winner of the Chinese X Factor, classical singer Mary-Jess Leaverland, performed for hundreds of people and she was joined magician Archie Manners.

The May Ball was where the the majority of the funds came from on Saturday, where around £85,000 was raised.

"I am almost speechless but how well this has all come together. This is something I and many others will never forget," added Mr Eliot-Cohen.