A season in the field
September is ploughing match month, and this year the sun shone on every one we attended. Across Kent and Sussex, our teams spent four days in the field at Weald of Kent, Laughton, Petworth and Hurstpierpoint. Competitors, exhibitors and visitors all welcomed the sunshine. However, after months of warm weather, the dry ground made for some challenging ploughing in places.
We also brought something new along this year. At three of the matches, our Capture the Day photo challenge invited visitors to snap their favourite moment. Every entry then went into a free prize draw for a luxury hamper worth £100.
You didn’t disappoint. So, alongside our own look back at the season, we’ve let your photos do some of the talking.
Weald of Kent Ploughing Match
First up was the Weald of Kent Ploughing Match on Saturday 12th September, which celebrated its 80th anniversary this year. John and Gillian Weller, the Lovejoy Farm Partnership and the Heathcote Family kindly hosted it at Hengherst Farm, Woodchurch. After last year’s rain and mud, blue skies made a very welcome change.
Our Tunbridge Wells team ran our biggest stand of the season, right on the ringside. As one of the best-attended matches in the county, it’s a great chance to catch up with farming clients across Kent. It’s also where we meet plenty of new faces. Over refreshments, conversations on the stand covered Inheritance Tax and succession planning, Natural Capital and the local land market.
In addition, we were delighted to sponsor the Ploughman’s Lunch at this year’s match. It remains a valued tradition, giving competitors a well-earned break form the field and a chance to catch up with one another.
Meanwhile, Sussex Coffee Trucks joined us on the stand again, serving freshly made coffee to visitors all day. After all, on a busy show day, a good cup of coffee goes a long way. As always, it was a pleasure to have them alongside us.
Laughton Ploughing Match
Four days later, on Wednesday 16th September, we headed to the Laughton Ploughing Match, held at Houndean Field, Lewes, by kind permission of EJ Brickell and Sons. A mid-week fixture and one of the friendliest days in the calendar, it’s a match we look forward to every year. Since Laughton sits between our two patches, our Haywards Heath and Tunbridge Wells teams joined forces for the day.
For the third year running, we sponsored the Education Section at the ploughing match. Where we provide the education boards that help local schoolchildren learn about farming and the countryside. Once again, it was a huge success and one of our favourite parts of the season. Thank you to every school and teacher who took part.
Laughton is also where our prize draw winner took her photo. More on that below.
Petworth Ploughing Match
Nets, on Saturday 26th September our Pulborough team headed to the Petworth Ploughing Match at Drungewick Hill Farm, Loxwood, by kind permission of Mr Peter Foulger and Simon Carter Farms. With the sun out again and West Sussex farmland at its best, it was a day of good conversations. We caught up with clients old and new across the west of our patch.
Hurstpierpoint Ploughing Match
Finally, the very next day, the 120th Hurstpierpoint & District Ploughing Match brought our season to a close. This year, Plumpton College hosted the match on Sunday 27th September as it celebrates its own centenary. With two milestones in one field, we were delighted to be part of the day.
Plumpton is close to our hearts. In fact, we helped the college develop its fast-track BSc (Hons) in Rural Land & Business Management from the start. The University of Greenwich validates the two-year degree, and RICS accredits it. Students combine block teaching on campus with real client work at Batcheller Monkhouse. What’s more, our own Georgia Hillyard started the course this September.
And the winner is…
Every entry from Weald of Kent, Laughton and Hurstpierpoint went into the draw. This year’s winner was Hollie Robinson, who took her photo at the Laughton Ploughing Match.
Hollie has now received her prize: a luxury hamper from Regency Hampers worth £100. Think Prosecco, red wine, piccalilli, shortbread, brownies, oatcakes and more! Congratulations Hollie, we hope you enjoy every bit of it.
Thank you, and see you at Ardingly
Above all, thank you to the organisers, volunteers and competitors at all four matches. We’d also like to thank Plumpton College for hosting the 120th Hurstpierpoint match. These matches take months of work behind the scenes, and they’re some of the best days in the rural calendar. Thank you, too, to everyone who stopped by the stand or sent in a photo.
Our support for the farming community also carries on beyond the ploughing match season. This November, our Haywards Heath Rural team sponsors the cattle show at the South Eastern Prime Stock Winter Fayre. Then, next September, we’ll be back in the field. We look forward to seeing you there.
Whether it’s a valuation, a question about your land or simply a catch-up, our Rural team is always happy to talk.