HUNDREDS of visitors stopped off in an Eden village to take in its spectacular annual church exhibition and scarecrow festival.

The theme for this year's event was "The Four Seasons" and in All Saints Parish Church there were displays depicting spring, summer, autumn and winter dominated the aisles. They had been created by a group of willing volunteers who had been working on them since before Christmas.

Visitors were also able to enjoy a leisurely stroll around the village and "spot" the numerous and varied scarecrows which featured weather man Michael Fish, a springtime Royal wedding, seasonal sheep and Sponge Bob Strawpants.

“Last year’s scarecrow wedding was a big success and really surprised people with the variety of guests and the detail and work involved,” said Brenda Iveson, one of the organisers.

“For 2018, we wanted to do something completely different and a team of volunteers worked through the winter months to create these Four Seasons and everything else that decorated the church.

"There were also a few familiar scarecrow faces from last year on the benches outside church. The weather was kind to us with lots of warm sunshine and we have had lots of visitors, some travelling to Orton from quite a distance.

"It’s felt well worth all that work and we’re really pleased that everyone seems to have enjoyed it.”

In the Scarecrow competition, public voting took place over the Whit Bank Holiday weekend. Of the 34 scarecrows dotted around Orton, the favourites and winners were:

Primary age winners: 1 Springtime on the Farm by Jake Potter; 2 A Springtime Royal Wedding by Finn Mounsey; 3 Seasons are Fun by Madison and Stephen Potter. Adult winners: 1 Four Seasons Vivaldi by Rowland Woof; 2 Seasonal Sheep by Susan and Emma Thorpe;

3 The Mole Catcher – or not by Joyce Potter-Wharton.