Steam across the Hill DVD – The 2018 Steam Plough Club Great Challenge Ploughing Match

Description

Two engine cable cultivation at work.

Since 1994, every three years or so, the Steam Plough Club holds the ‘Great Challenge’ a ploughing match for two engine cable ploughing teams.

The eight ‘Challenge’ took place at Austrey near Atherstone, Warwickshire over the weekend of 13/14 October 2018.

Twenty-five ploughing engines were working, their teams working the implements across and up and down their plots laid out on very challenging ground.

This programme covers the Steam Plough Clubs 2018 ‘Great Challenge’, a unique ploughing competition held every three years or so to assess the capability of their members in utilising their ploughing engines and implements, the majority of which were designed and manufactured well over a hundred years ago.

Operating alongside the tractors of the Society of Ploughmen undertaking their national competition, twelve steam ploughing sets (twenty-three engines) are seen at work across one field, a magnificent sight and not something that would have been experienced in the past.

Also taking part and fully explained on the DVD was the sole remaining J&F Howard ‘Farmers Engine’ which as a single engine operated a ‘roundabout’ ploughing system, developed in the mid-nineteenth century prior to the more well-known two engine system.

For those interested in our agricultural history and how mobile steam power was used in the past this programme takes your there.

Approx. 90 minutes.

This dvd is being sold on behalf of and with full permission of the copyright owner – Avalon Video Productions.