Great Dorset Steam Fair: Event returns after Covid cancellations

Covering 600 acres, the showground is one of Europe's largest outdoor event sites

The Great Dorset Steam Fair (GDSF) has opened after it was cancelled two years in a row due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The event is held at the village of Tarrant Hinton near Blandford Forum from Thursday until 29 August.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to flock to the 600-acre showground to see more than 2,000 exhibits.

The show - which is now in its 54th year - celebrates industrial and agricultural heritage.

The five-day show celebrating industrial and agricultural heritage regularly attracts up to 200,000 visitors from around the world

About 200 tonnes of coal is burned by the engines during the five-day fair which also features 2,000 exhibits, including 250 full working steam engines.

The event was cancelled in 2020 for the first time in its history due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Last year organisers said it was "unfeasible" to run the show in 2021 due to uncertainty at the time about Covid-19 restrictions.

It was subsequently given a grant of £156,000 from the government's Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover from the impact of the pandemic.

Managing director Martin Oliver said the show's importance was "immeasurable".

"The event is, in effect, the largest working/living museum of its type in the world, inspiring and educating a whole new generation and attracting huge numbers of visitors each year into the local area from the UK and abroad," he added.

Earlier this year, Dorset Council approved plans for a temporary traveller site at the venue in order to accommodate travellers visiting the county for the fair.