Ploughing days of yesteryear with Isle’s Festival of the Plough

As organisers of the annual Isle of Axholme’s Festival of the Plough look desperately for a new venue for the traditional event we take a look back at festivals of yesteryear.
By Nigel Booth
Published 5th Mar 2019, 14:55 BST
Updated 5th Mar 2019, 15:58 BST
Festival of the Plough 2015 at High Burnham near Epworth. Action from the garden tractors classes.Festival of the Plough 2015 at High Burnham near Epworth. Action from the garden tractors classes.
Festival of the Plough 2015 at High Burnham near Epworth. Action from the garden tractors classes.

The first plough was organised in 1980 and in some form or other has happened every year except when the foot and mouth outbreak closed down most of the countryside in 2001.

Over the years it has been held in and around Epworth at Mill Farm, at Low Burnham and even round by the Epworth Show ground. There is an ever expanding list of attractions.

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These include tractor ploughing, horse ploughing, trade stands, craft tent, poultry, vintage vehicles, static displays, stationary engines and models and miniatures.

Festival of the Plough 2015 at High Burnham near Epworth. Action from the demonstration class.Festival of the Plough 2015 at High Burnham near Epworth. Action from the demonstration class.
Festival of the Plough 2015 at High Burnham near Epworth. Action from the demonstration class.

The black and white image shows The first contestant on the field at the Festival of the Plough, Low Burnham, in 1981.

others show Festival of the Plough at High Burnham on September 21, 2014.

Others are from the 35th Festival of the Plough in 2015 - one of the first events in the autumn ploughing calendar at High Burnham Farm, Epworth. Send any retro photographs please to [email protected].