Thrills and spills in Cheshire penny farthing race

The event - first held in 1980 - raises funds for children with cancer

About 100 people have pedalled for a bone-jarring three hours in a charity penny farthing race.

Organisers said the event was about "thrills and hopefully no spills" in the historic Cheshire town of Knutsford.

With riders from as far afield as New Zealand, competitors steered through the narrow streets which inspired Elizabeth Gaskell's novel Cranford.

The event raised funds for The Joshua Tree to help children with cancer.

A race representative said: "Some wear lycra, others tweed, so whether it's a need for speed or just an excuse to dress up, there's something for everyone."

Contestants compete to finish the most number of laps for the Stockdale trophy, named after a local collector of penny farthings who also set up a museum focused on the eye-catching contraptions.

Riding a penny farthing can be a risky affair

The contraptions were the predecessors of contemporary bicycles

Riders often opt to wear fancy dress and headgear

Created in the late 1800s, the penny farthing was named after the largest and smallest British coins at the time

The village of Knutsford was mentioned in Domesday Book records from 1085

It inspired former resident Elizabeth Gaskell to write Cranford, which was adapted into a BBC drama

All photos subject to copyright