58th British National Ploughing Championships 

to be held at

Marden, near Tonbridge, Kent
TN12 9LN

Please note - although the postal address is near Tonbridge, the site is closer to 
the town of Maidstone (approx 9 miles south)

by kind permission of  Pat Burke & family

on

Saturday & Sunday
11th & 12th October 2008

The site is located just south of the village of Marden, 
east of the B2079 road.   It will be signposted from major routes.

Includes:

 Heavy Horse Ploughing ~ Vintage Tractors
Modern Tractor Ploughing ~ Champion Ploughmen & Women
Trade Stands ~ Demonstrations ~ Country Crafts

Local Champion ploughmen from throughout Great Britain are preparing to travel to Kent on October 11th & 12th, to compete in the 2008 British National Ploughing Championships.

Competitors include past and present British, European and World ploughing champions and competition will be fierce as ploughmen and women will be fighting for the supreme honour of taking the British National titles and representing their country in the 2009 World Ploughing Contest.

Ken Chappell, Executive Director of the Society of Ploughmen, said recently, "Clearly the decision to bring the national championships back to the area for the first time in eleven years was a good one and the enthusiasm and support we are getting from our main sponsors - National Grid, Goodyear and Firestone - and from local people, organisations and the agricultural trade is very encouraging.  It will add up to a ploughing spectacular and provide a great rural day out for all the family to remember".

The National Young Farmers Area Champions will compete on the first day and ploughmen in the conventional and reversible classes will parade to their plots, with the qualifying ploughmen going through to the finals on the second day.  Their prize will be the honour of representing their country in ploughing's international 'Grand Prix' World Ploughing Championships to be held in Slovenia in 2009.

Classes for vintage tractor ploughing will be held on the second day, with area champions in hydraulic, trailing and classic ploughing competing for the honour of being British National Vintage Champion and a place to represent England in the 2009 European Vintage Ploughing Championships.

Fun for all the family
The event is not only for ploughmen - visitors will be catered for with an extensive trade stand area and a taste of the past will be supplied with steam ploughing engines; vintage machines at work; rural craft displays; a static display of vintage tractors and agricultural engines; and magnificent shire horses at work demonstrating their ploughing skills.  These magnificently turned out true 'workhorses' will be decorated with ornate brass and leather harness, and undertaking the general purpose work on the first day and the stylish 'high cut' work on the second day, providing an irresistible opportunity for photographers.

In contrast, top machinery firms will be demonstrating their latest, most up-to-date, powerful, multi-furrow ploughing unites which can turn over in far less than an hour what it takes the horses a day to achieve.

Over 15,000 visitors are expected to attend the event from all parts of the country and the site will be sign posted from all major roads in the vicinity.

How to find the site

Click here for a map with the site location

 FREE CAR PARKING

Admission:
    £8 per adult per day
    £4 per senior citizen or child per day
    Special rates for coach parties, paid in advance (please contact us for details)

Click here for details of membership to the Society of Ploughmen (includes free admission to the event)

Click here for a link to the Marden Business Forum with links to the Marden area

Click here for the Marden Parish Council website

 
PROGRAMME OF EVENTS 

FRIDAY 10th OCTOBER 

SATURDAY 11th OCTOBER 

SUNDAY 12th OCTOBER 

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