Two Shire horses in polished brass-trimmed harness stand over stubble at the Surrey County Ploughing Match, a vintage trailing plough waiting on the ground behind them.
Photo: Peter Trimming · CC BY-SA 2.0
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UK Ploughing Matches 2026 & 2027

Next up: Cheshire Ploughing & Hedgecutting Match 2026 — Wed 30 Sep 2026, Cheshire.

Ploughing match season follows the harvest, so almost everything happens between early September and late November. The 2026 season opens on 6 September with Chertsey and Romney Marsh both ploughing on the same Sunday, thickens through the month (the Weald of Kent marks its 80th match on 12 September, and the Cheshire Ploughing and Hedgecutting Match reaches its 100th, centenary match at the Cholmondeley Castle estate on 30 September, with National Vintage and Ferguson area finals on the card), and peaks at the 75th British National Ploughing Championships at Austrey near Atherstone on 10 and 11 October 2026, a site of nearly 300 acres with adults £20, children £2 and free parking.

There is far more to watch than modern reversible ploughs. The Nationals run steam ploughing engines, horse teams, high cut and vintage classes, plus a special display for 75 years of the Fordson Major in 2026. Scotland has its own championships, the 62nd, at Whitburgh Farms near Pathhead on 23 and 24 October, with the venue moving each year. Many matches bolt on a proper day out: the Weald of Kent adds a farmers market, arena programme and have-a-go ploughing, while the season's stragglers run deep into winter with Lauderdale in the Borders on 21 November and Stratheden in Fife on 29 November.

Be honest with yourself about the conditions. It is a working field in autumn, so wellies are not optional and neither is a coat. Entry is some of the cheapest in this directory, usually £10 to £12 with under-12s often free, and parking is normally a free stubble field. Some rural matches are still cash only (Mendip states plainly there are no card facilities on site), so stop at a cashpoint on the way. All dates checked weekly, searchable by postcode.

Our pick: the FFF&B match, run by the Fairford, Faringdon, Filkins and Burford Ploughing Society, is one of the largest one-day matches in the country and everything a local show should be. The 2026 match at Ashbury put over 140 tractors on the field with two sets of steam tackle working and a proper country show alongside, and we were in the crowd. The 2027 match is announced for 25 September at Langford, near Lechlade.

September 2026

October 2026

November 2026

September 2027

Same crowd, different engines: tractor shows · tractor runs

Ploughing Matches: your questions answered

When is ploughing match season in the UK?

Early September to late November, after harvest. The 2026 season opens on 6 September with the Chertsey and Romney Marsh matches, peaks with the British Nationals on 10 and 11 October, and runs as late as Stratheden in Fife on 29 November.

Where are the British National Ploughing Championships 2026?

At William Corbett Farms, Austrey, near Atherstone in Warwickshire, on 10 and 11 October 2026. It is the 75th championships, with adults £20 on the gate, children £2, free parking, and 20 percent off tickets booked in advance.

How much does a ploughing match cost to attend?

Local matches typically charge £10 to £12. The Weald of Kent match is £10 in advance or £12 on the gate with under-12s free, and East Kent is £12 on the gate with £10 early bird tickets. Parking is almost always free.

What types of ploughing are there at a match?

Classes usually cover modern conventional and reversible ploughing, vintage hydraulic and trailing ploughs, high cut, and horse teams. The biggest events, including the British Nationals, also field working steam ploughing engines.

Do I need cash at a ploughing match?

Often, yes. Some rural matches have no card facilities at all, Mendip 2026 among them, while others like East Kent take cash or card on the gate. Bring notes for the burger van and the produce tent either way.

Are ploughing matches worth taking the family to?

The bigger ones, definitely. The Weald of Kent's 80th match on 12 September 2026 includes a farmers market, equine classes, a main arena programme and have-a-go ploughing, and the Nationals run a full country festival alongside the competition.

When is the Cheshire Ploughing Match 2026?

Wednesday 30 September 2026 at the Cholmondeley Castle estate near Malpas. It is the 100th Cheshire Ploughing and Hedgecutting Match, a centenary year, with National Vintage and Ferguson area finals held alongside the main ploughing classes.

When is the Northern Ireland Ploughing Championships 2026?

Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September 2026, on farmland at Ballyknock Road, Royal Hillsborough, County Down. It is the 82nd International Ploughing Championships, run by the Northern Ireland Ploughing Association across conventional, reversible and vintage classes, and is the governing event for the province's 21 affiliated ploughing societies.

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