FANS ignored the rain and flocked to Purbeck Folk Festival at the weekend for an international line-up including chart-topping KT Tunstall.

Now in its fourth year, the festival featured sixty folk, roots and world music acts.

KT, a huge fan of the Isle of Purbeck, wrote songs for her second album at a cottage near Corfe Castle .

Before headlining on Saturday night she described the Langton Matravers event as: “The way festivals used to be.”

The Purbeck Folk Festival’s Wilkswood Farm site centres around a working sheep farm, enabling artists and fans to shelter from the elements in three large barns.

Organiser Paul Burke said: “We’ve been really pleased with the weekend. The bill was of the highest standard, with plenty of young talent from Dorset, the UK and internationally. There was a great family atmosphere that made the event really special.”

Dubbed Dorset’s greatest small festival, bands such as headliners Shooglenifty and Larkin Poe joined KT to entertain the crowds. The event also boasted a real ale festival and poetry competition.

Event director Phil Watkins said: “We’ve grown audiences by a few hundred every year and we opened for a couple of thousand.

“Because we had KT Tunstall, more people have looked and seen what is going on.

“It was lovely to have her here but there were some other brilliant highlights as well.”