THE secrets of the historic Diglis Island have been revealed, after the first of a series of tours took place.

The island, which is not usually open to the public, has been opened up as part of an arts project The Ring, which celebrates the Worcestershire circular canal.

The tours offer a limited chance for people to find out about the little-known island, where 80 people once worked to maintain the nearby waterways.

Among the first visitors was one woman, who took the opportunity to explore the location that has ties with her family that date back five generations.

Photography loving Emma Carless, of Gregorys Bank, Worcester visited Diglis Island, where her grandmother grew up.

Mrs Carless, 38, said: "It was really interesting. I wanted to go for a few reasons. I love art, taking photos and because of the family connection.

"I knew that my gran was born there and lived in the house with her family so it was pretty cool to have a nose around the place where she spent her childhood."

The tour was led by a local artist, Rich White, and allowed members of the public to explore the secrets of the island up close.

Mrs Carless, a CAD technician for a local surveying company, said: "Another reason I took the chance to go was because it’s not normally open to the public."

Mrs Carless' grandmother Joan Carless lived at the dock house on Diglis Island and spent the first 23 years of her life there.

Her father was the lock keeper for quite a few years. She passed away in February, 2012.

The island was created in 1844.

During the Second World War, the island had barbed wire, trenches and loophole windows in place to help protect fuel deliveries.

The Diglis Island tours are available with The Ring, a group of artists in and around Worcester.

People who used to work on the island when it was a working island were also involved.

The next tours are on June, 23 and August, 30.

The guided tours enable visitors to see different parts of the island such as the stables.

The Ring is a project running until September 2018, celebrating the Worcestershire circular canal that flows through the urban and rural landscapes of Worcester and Droitwich.

For more information about the Diglis Island tours, visit theringarts.org.uk