About The Steam Plough Club
A HISTORY OF THE STEAM PLOUGH CLUB
How It All Started
The Steam Plough Club was founded on 3rd December 1966 by the late Harold Bonnett.
Twenty six persons were present at the inaugural meeting of what was to become the Steam Plough Club. Held at the Great Northern Hotel, Peterborough, on 3rd December 1966, the chair was taken by the late Harold Bonnett and after discussions on whether to compile a register or form a Club it was agreed to form the STEAM PLOUGH CLUB.
The appointed Chairman was Harold Bonnett, the Secretary Michael Goodman, the Treasurer Brian Parsons, The Assistant Secretary Alec Ibbott, and, Assistant Treasurer Richard Jackson. [Richard Jackson still sits on the present committee]
The subscriptions were set at £1.
The objects of the Club were agreed to be a focus on plough engine matters with the aim promoting of more working demonstrations of ploughing by steam. A number of actions were proposed, in particular to compile a list of all owners of ploughing engines; to offer traditional skills to those desiring help for practical demonstrations; to get at least one ploughing engine into a museum for permanent preservation, and, to provide advice to members.
There were 39 members enrolled by the end of 1967, 57 by the end of 1968, 65 by 1970.
Who does the Steam Plough Club cater for?
The Club currently has over 350 members world-wide who share an interest in steam ploughing, the engines and implements, the personalities and its rich history. Membership is open to anyone with a passion for this. Amongst the members are ploughing engine owners, crews, would-be ploughmen, museums, academics, researchers, model engineers, and those who have links to bygone days through family and friends.
What does the Club offer today?
While the focus is still the steam ploughing engine and the tackle used, diesel conversions of steam ploughing engines and derivatives such as the internal combustion cable ploughing engines are included as a feature in the historical development agricultural machinery.
The engine and implement records amassed over the years for all the major ploughing engine manufacturers continue to be updated as ownership details change, new information comes to light, and, engines and implements are ‘re-discovered’ and rescued. A large collection of archive photographs is also maintained. These records together with technical advice on all aspects, for example identification of ploughing engine classes, are available to members.
Working instructions for steam ploughing machinery, and, safety guidelines for crews and organisers of steam ploughing events have been produced and made available over recent years.
In June 2012, the Club produced the “United Kingdom and Overseas Engine and Implement List Number 8″. This high quality 100-page production was at the time the most comprehensive of the lists published since the 1970s and for the first time included information on engines overseas. This list was updated in June 2017 – “United Kingdom and Overseas Engine and Implement List No. 9” with the addition of implements and tackle overseas. This most ambitious publication was 138 pages and has been out of print for the past 6-7 years.
The newsletter that was circulated to members in the early years is now a quarterly journal – the Steam Plough Times – comprising 24 pages with photographs.
The Club also maintains a web site at www.steamploughclub.org.uk featuring general information on events, photographs, and the history of steam ploughing plus material exclusively for members.
In-house publications and DVDs can be found at the web site and can be obtained at selected rallies and events.
Who runs the Club?
The Club is now a Company Limited by Guarantee and the three directors sit on the committee with the officers and ordinary members elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting. As well as administrating the Club, visits and meetings are arranged on the members’ behalf.
Major Events
The Great Challenge
Over the past 32 years the Club has organised eight Challenges for steam ploughs, the crews competing for the Steam Plough Challenge trophy awarded to those judged to have produced the best work in a set time.
The first Great Challenge took place in 1994 in conjunction with the Boddington Vintage Association at Lower Boddington after Michael Davies invited all comers to a steam ploughing match. Robert Pelly, great grandson of Robert Fowler (John Fowler’s brother) presented the Club with an original trophy awarded to Robert Fowler in 1883 for his shooting prowess. Richard Pierce and Peter Stanier readily took up the challenge – hence the title – and won the trophy with their Fowler single cylinder engines. Five sets took part.
The second challenge took place in 1998 at Preston Capes in conjunction with the National Ploughing Championships. Heavy rainfall occurred in the week prior to the event only easing sufficiently to allow the competition to start this time with 10 sets competing. The trophy was won by Michael Davies and his team with the Z7 engines that he repatriated from the Sena Sugar Estates in Mozambique.
The third Challenge in 2000 was unluckily faced with a national fuel strike which caused major problems for competitors in the run up. However this did not stop a magnificent 11 sets competing near Lincoln against all the odds. This was held as part of the World Ploughing Championships of that year. Once again rain played its part causing emergency arrangements to be undertaken to allow the competition to start.
The fourth Challenge in 2002 saw a return to the Boddington Vintage Association event at Lower Boddington where the Challenge took place in dry and peaceful conditions. This time the trophy went to a team led by Michael Beeby from Rempstone. 8 sets competed.
For the 50th anniversary of steam ploughing at Rempstone and the 40th anniversary of the Steam Plough Club the Challenge in 2006 was held at Rempstone over a dry and sunny weekend. On this occasion no less that 13 sets competed the line up of 27 engines on the Saturday evening producing a magnificent sight. The trophy was won by Richard Vernon and his Howard tackle. This was by far the most spectacular Challenge so far and included the use of a helicopter to film the occasion.
The sixth Challenge was held in Sussex in August 2009 with 8 sets competing. A glorious summer weekend saw the trophy go back to Kent with Roger Luck steering the plough and a Fowler/Burrell/Aveling single cylinder and a BB engine providing power. 9 engine classes and the makers John Fowler, R.H.J. Wilder, Burrell/Aveling and McLaren were represented.
The seventh Challenge was held in 2013 at Hill Farm, Fenny Compton, Warks. Ten sets competed. Although the ground remained firm, rain made for slippery conditions and assistance was occasionally required to move engines. The trophy went to Michael Davies and David Adkins and crew Paul Ransley, Colin Carpenter and Joe Nourish.
The eighth Challenge took place in 2018 at Austrey, near Atherstone, by kind invitation of the Society of Ploughmen who held their National Ploughing Championships on the same site. Eleven sets participated and set off to tackle some steep slopes and twisting inclines. Unfortunately, despite good work on the Saturday the next day was a washout. The event was won by Richard Pierce and Peter Stanier’s team with the Fowler singles 2861 and 3195.
The Hands On
One of the Club’s most rewarding events is a ‘Hands On’ Weekend providing participants the opportunity to try the plough as well as to drive the engines under supervision. Complete beginners are always welcome and the focus is on safety during operations.
This event has been hosted at different locations which provides experience on a variety of engines and tackle and adds much to the interest and enjoyment of all concerned. The thirteenth was in 2012, at which normally 10-12 participants take part, and the Club encouraged the attendance of two youngsters by subsidizing the costs of arrangements. With four engines, two ploughs and a range of implements to examine it was another splendid event spread over three days. There have been eight more Hands On events since and another will take place in August this year, 2026.
50th Anniversary, 2016
The Club celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2016 with a Celebration of Steam Cultivation, at Crockey Hill, near York – in conjunction with the World Ploughing Championships and British National Ploughing Championships – by kind permission of the Society of Ploughmen.
The theme for the Steam Plough Club’s event was the mechanisation of agriculture by steam from the 1860s. The Club brought together examples of this heritage from all around the country – ploughing engines and tackle made by three of the major manufacturers during this era, internal combustion derivatives and competitors, and, rare exhibits seldom seen outside museums. Together these represent Great Britain’s contribution to advancements in agriculture, not only in this country but to all the parts of the world to which they were exported.
Internal combustion engine examples were included as they helped one to appreciate not only how long steam power remained ‘king’ but how quickly steam had to give way to this new form of power.
There was a great story to tell – starting with the roundabout system of cultivation then the self-moving double-engine cable system, direct ploughing by steam, diesel and petrol powered motor cable ploughing engines and windlasses, rotary diggers, and the conversion of steam ploughing engines to diesel.
Altogether there were 30 steam ploughing engines, 4 Traction Engines – 2 for direct ploughing by steam, a Fowler Motor Cable PE, a McLaren Motor Windlass, a Fowler Gyrotiller, and a range of cable working implements. And don’t forget the miniatures and scale model display.
Engines & Tackle
The Club owns no engines or implements of its own. Amongst its members are owners of some of the 179 ploughing engines (that includes 14 diesel conversions) existing in the UK and Ireland which include those manufactured by John Allen, Aveling & Porter, Burrell, Fowler, Heucke, Howard, Kemna/Ottomeyer, McLaren, Fowler/Wilder. The earliest engines were built circa 1868/9.
Membership Attractions
One feature of the Club’s early being was the production of a newsletter. Photographs were soon offered for sale. Members contributed by producing operating instructions, assembling engine records and by donating photographs and tales of the engines and crews at work.
Today, the Steam Plough Club provides its members with:-
- A quarterly journal – the Steam Plough Times – 24 pages with photographs.
- Technical advice – on all aspects
- Working instructions for steam ploughing machinery
- Safety guidelines for crews and event organisers
- Engine & implement records
- Engine classes identification
- In-house publications & DVDs
- The opportunity to meet like minded enthusiasts
- Visits & meetings
- Access to Steam Plough Times – a searchable index of the contents of the SPT
The Club is affiliated with the National Traction Engine Trust, and, is a member of the Federation of British Historical Vehicle Clubs and the Society of Ploughmen.
Our Sales Team represent the Club at a number of events each year where they promote our activities and provide a range of goods
For further information please contact us
We are also active on a number of social media sites: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
The Club is about keeping the tackle operating; not just the machinery but passing on the old skills too. Members of our Club would be pleased to have your help and assistance so that together we can give the steam plough engine its proper place in the history of British agricultural engineering.
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