On Saturday the 21st of June 2003 at the village of Leintwardine in the county of Shropshire the annual coracle races were held. The host for the event was coracle maker and village resident Peter Faulkner the only maker to specialise in hide covered coracles. The sunshine attracted many visitors to the river that was also the lowest that anyone could remember since the races began ten years earlier although very recently when the river was in spate twenty eight salmon were counted jumping the wier adjacent the bridge on one day. Participents in the event were also down and had been since the event was relocated away from the village two years ago because of precautions relating to the outbreak of the foot and mouth cattle disease in other parts of the country at that time. Many bowl coracles (also known as the "Ironbridge") were seen this year and as every year they were the ones that tipped their occupents in the river. With well over a dozen types to choose from it is surprising that this type is so prevelant considering that the type is unstable and also worrying that many newcomers to coracles begin in this unsafe design of coracle. Various classes of race were held and also water polo. Conwy on the river bank explained to the visitors the use of a traditional coracle net and displayed a River Teifi net he had made from the traditional materials of horse hair, hemp twine and cowhorn.

Conwy in his River Tywi Coracle
at Leintwardine Coracle Regatta

Conwy in his River Tywi Coracle
at Leintwardine Coracle Regatta