"I like nothing better than hard work - I could watch it for hours!"
Saturday afternoon found me at Stotfold Mill's "Working Steam Weekend", where there were demonstrations of various types of ploughing - lovely to watch but hard graft for those involved. The kind of hard labour that must have hurried many of my ancestors to early graves. But nevertheless a very pleasant way to pass an afternoon. Just watching, naturally.
When I say "ploughing backwards" I don't mean "ploughing backwards", of course. It's the history that was backwards because it was the more modern methods I saw first.
Later on I stood in the sunshine for a while observing the forerunner to the tractor, ploughing by steam. If you'd run about the fields with one of these monsters you'd do more harm than good - and you'd probably get stuck. They had to use a different system.
Underneath the steam engine is a large winding-drum which pulls the plough across the field by means of a thick steel cable.
Six furrows at a time! The early days of farm mechanisation. If you look carefully you'll spy not only the cable pulling the plough, but also a chain hanging down at the front - they'll need that in a minute.
Oh, how we enjoyed watching them struggle to manually tip the whole plough, ready to make its return journey across the field.
Back they go, being pulled by another steam engine on the opposite side of the field. Of course there's an even more picturesque way to till the land....
A two horse-power outfit.
At the end of each hard-pulled furrow they paused for affectionate pats from admirers young and old. They also seem to have an instinctive understanding of how to pose for the camera!
Then off they go again, while we loiter around unproductively, take a few snaps and eat ice-creams. As I say, "I could watch it for hours!"
Take care.
How I'd love to have seen this. I remember as a child being taken by my uncle to a ploughing match in Nottinghamshire. Great fun.
ReplyDeleteAs to your comment on the kitchen table - yes, we had a similar one. That drawer at the end was our 'bits and bobs' drawer, a tangle of old keys, pencil stubs, rubber bands, bits of string and various other things that didn't ever get thrown away - or used either.
I've never seen the method of ploughing via a steam engine and a strong cable. I don't know id that was ever done here in Ontario. I love the horses pulling the plough! When I was in central France as a teenager, the ploughing was done by a pair of oxen.
ReplyDeleteHere in Ontario we have a big ploughing match once a year.... all the politicians show up to have their pictures taken driving the antique tractors. But of course here they call it "plowing"!
Such beautiful animals. Much more photogenic than those machines!
ReplyDeleteThe horses are without doubt the stars here John, your horse shots are incredibly beautiful, I loooove them 💙
ReplyDeleteMy husbands father always ploughed his fields using horses - it all looks very nostalgic and romatic, but in reality I believe that it was very hard work. Lovely photos as usual.
ReplyDeleteMy farmer would have enjoyed this event John - especially the heavy horses, which he loved.
ReplyDeleteWhat a relief to learn that steam tractors didn't pull a plow the way modern ones do...I've always wondered about that. Great to see how they "worked" And the horses are so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHi John - especially in that sunshine ... just bask in the warming rays and watch the back and forths ... lovely photos - and great reminiscences and nostalgia - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteBeautiful hard working animals and photos.
ReplyDeleteThank you, John.
Have to confess I find the heavy horses more a romantic to plough even though I love the steam engines
ReplyDeleteThe horses are beautiful. Ploughing has coma long way over the years.
ReplyDeleteThe horses are wonderful. I could watch them for hours. Another old skill I have always enjoyed is watching someone (who knows what they are doing) using a scythe. As a child we had a gardener who used a scythe. Wonderful to watch.
ReplyDeleteThe power of those horses! What a grand couple they are.
ReplyDeleteThe horses are the best part....the steam plowing looks no fun at all. But I am sure better than plowing with horses. But, oh, those horses! They are gorgeous.
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