Cheshire Ploughing Match 2025
2nd Oct 2025
Author: Butcher & Barlow
After a weekend of torrential rain, we were delighted to arrive to bright skies for the 99th Annual Cheshire Ploughing & Hedge-Laying Match at Hatley Farm, Frodsham, by kind permission of the Warburton families. Set beneath the Sandstone Ridge, (with a few wind turbines for company), the showground came alive with the familiar hum of tractors, the clean slice of the plough and the easy conversations that make this event a firm favourite on the Agricultural calendar.
As one of Cheshire’s much-loved agricultural fixtures, this year’s Match once again showcased the best of the county’s rural traditions. Competitors set about their work with quiet focus hedge-layers crafting neat lines, plough teams laying furrows so straight you could set a ruler by them, while trade stands across the field shared practical insights into machinery, inputs and services. The result was that familiar blend of heritage and forward-thinking that defines the region’s farming community.
Butcher & Barlow’s Agriculture & Rural Affairs Team was proud to be part of the event once again, joining forces with Chartered Surveyors Meller Speakman and accountancy firm bennettbrooks to host our shared stand. Together, we offered a genuinely holistic approach – legal, surveying and financial expertise under one canvas so visitors could discuss everything from land transactions and succession planning to tenancy matters, farm diversification and business structuring in one friendly stop. Our thanks to both Meller Speakman and bennettbrooks for being superb stand partners throughout the day.
Of course, no Cheshire Ploughing Match would feel complete without our now infamous hog roast. Roach’s Roaster returned to keep spirits (and plates) full, and judging by the queue, the aroma did its usual magic. If you joined us around 11.30 am when serving began, you will know exactly why it remains such a crowd-pleaser. The food may be the initial draw, but it is the conversations, catching up with familiar faces and meeting new ones that make the day special for us.
Throughout the day, we spoke with farmers, landowners and rural businesses about the opportunities and pressures shaping decisions this season and beyond. Topics ranged from development potential and overage to partnership agreements, renewable projects and the balance between food production and environmental stewardship. Our approach is simple: listen first, advise clearly and work collaboratively with your wider professional team so that decisions are well grounded and future proof. Decisions. Shared. (And, where possible, shared over a good roast sandwich.)
Events like the Cheshire Ploughing Match remind us why community matters. They are a celebration of skill and tradition, but they are also a practical forum for ideas and problem solving some of the best solutions start with a chat under a marquee. As a Firm dedicated to supporting agri businesses, farmers and rural landholders, we remain focused on helping you navigate the legal, commercial and environmental considerations that sit behind every key decision.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who stopped by our stand, to our partners for their camaraderie and to the organisers and hosts for another excellent show. As the 99th Match draws to a close, we are already looking ahead to next year’s milestone with enthusiasm. Until then, if you would like to discuss any of the topics we touched on at the show, or anything else on your mind, please do get in touch with our Agriculture & Rural Affairs Team.
