The organisers of the annual British National Ploughing Championships & Country Festival have announced that the event will return to Somerset this year, when it will be held on 14th and 15th October 2023.  

The event, held in a different part of the country each year, will be returning to the county of Somerset for only the seventh time in its’ 72 year history when the Championships will be held on land at Bishop’s Lydeard, near Taunton by permission of K S Coles and family.
 
Partnering once again with Cereals Event, the organisers promise a deluge of both trade exhibitors/demonstrators and ploughing entries which will fill the massive 250 acres (100 hectares) site.
 
Over the two days, with a total of around 300 ploughing plots to complete, ploughmen and women from throughout Great Britain will be striving for perfection and will use a variety of modern tractors, vintage tractors or magnificent heavy horses to do so. They will be in one of fifteen different ploughing classes or six ‘Plough-Off’ Finals and their aim is to be British Champion in their respective discipline. For the finalists, their aim is to be Supreme Champion and win a place to represent their country overseas in the 2024 World or European Ploughing Contests.
 
Visitors to the Championships will be able to appreciate the ploughing skills on show, as well as shop in the trade stand, shopping and craft area. They will also be able to see local and national companies demonstrating the most up-to-date machinery available and in contrast, many vintage tractors and implements on display from yesteryear. 
  
Sue Frith, chief executive of the Society of Ploughmen, who are organising the event, said “We have some exceptional support in the south-west of the country and we are delighted that the Coles family have invited us back to Somerset for the third time in recent years. In 2017 we held one of our best-ever Championships on their land and we’re looking forward to a repeat, if not better this year!”