THE annual Ploughing Match will be returning to Newbury Showground this month.

A display of old and new ploughing from The Newbury and District Agricultural Society’s annual event will take place on Saturday, October 19.

Visitors can enjoy the tradition of ploughing, featuring the latest state-of-the-art machinery, vintage tractors, working steam engines and the horse-drawn ploughs.

Ploughmen from across the UK, as well as young home-grown local talent, will be hoping to win top spot in each of their classes and qualify for the National Ploughing Championships.

As well as the Ploughing Match, the hotly contested domestic competitions will take place with an array of homemade cakes and hedgerow liqueurs.

Anyone can enter and all exhibits will be auctioned off at the end of the day and proceeds go to the society’s chosen charity for this year, The Berkshire Community Foundation - an organisation that uses their local knowledge to connect supporters, large or small, to the groups and communities they want to help.

Gerry Lejeune OBE, chief executive at Berkshire Community Foundation, said: “We are very grateful to The Newbury and District Agricultural Society for choosing Berkshire Community Foundation as their chosen charity for 2019.

"The support will make a huge difference to lives of people across Berkshire and will help us continue to fund life-changing projects in the county."

Once again, the Ploughing Match plays host to a number of schools and youth groups who are invited to take part in our education competitions, with various themes; from the best dressed scarecrow and colourful kites, to autumn collages.

Ploughing starts at 9am and finishes at 1pm, with prize giving afterwards.

The entrance fee on the day is £5.00 and children under 16 are free of charge.