SEA shanty lovers descended upon Harwich for the town’s popular annual festival of maritime music.

Thousands of people attended various venues and events across the town for the 11th Harwich International Sea Shanty Festival.

It featured shanty singers from across Europe, including Poland, Finland, Denmark, France, Holland and Belgium.

The three-day festival, which ran from Friday to Sunday, celebrated Harwich’s maritime history and promoted the tradition of sea songs.

Shanties are traditional shipboard working songs, some of which date back to the 15th century.

They served as a practical source of providing a rhythm to the work on the ship.

There were performances from groups as the Golden Rivets, Harwich Shanty Crew and the Naze Shanty Crew.

A grand concert was held at the Electric Palace cinema, in Kings Quay Street, on Saturday and featured Grietje Sprot, Roaring Trowmen, Tidens Brus, Sound Tradition and North Cape.

There was also a range of displays and workshops across the town and vessels such as the Thames barge Victor and the historic Excelsior were also open to the public.