I’m a huge fan of country shows having been a regular visitor to The Great Yorkshire Show and was absolutely delighted to be invited along to the Royal Three Counties Show in Malvern, Worcestershire which takes places annually, over three days each June.
Getting there:
By road: from the north, take Junction 7 from the M5 motorway and follow signs to Malvern. From the south, exit the M5 at Junction 8 onto the M50 and after a short distance leave the motorway and follow signs to the town.
By train: the closest railway station is at Great Malvern where free shuttle buses take visitors to and from the showground.
The Royal Three Counties Show dates back to 1794 and used to rotate between venues in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire before it moved to its current site in 1958. Each year one of the three counties takes on the host role with it being Gloucestershire’s turn this year. The 90 acre site has a range of both permanent and temporary buildings which are arranged across fields surrounded by the beautiful backdrop of the Malvern Hills.
We arrived at the showground by 9.30 a.m. having followed signs to one of the car parks. This was very well organised without delays considering there are on average 30,000 daily visitors to the event. Advance tickets cost £23 (accompanied children under 16 free) making it great value for a full day of fun and entertainment.
Before wandering around, we picked up a show map and programme so that we could plan our day around the main events. Lined up near the brown entrance gate was a collection of vintage machinery that ranged from old farm tractors, delivery vans and miniature working steam engines that was interesting to inspect.
After admiring these vehicles we then moved on to the Forestry Area where heats were already underway in the Stihl Timber Sports Arena. This is a popular event and as all the seats were taken we gathered round to watch competitors chopping through logs using a combination of axes, saws and chainsaws. Maximum points were awarded for the fastest overall time recorded. During a break from competitions, two members of the audience were invited to participate in a log splitting contest with two men coming forward who both did a good job, encouraged on by the supportive crowd.
The highlight of the Forestry Area for me was the speed pole climbing competition with contestants from across the country scaling the huge 80ft tree poles as fast as possible. We gazed in awe at the speed of climbing in all age ranges with men, women and juniors taking part in competitions over the three days. It’s unlikely I would have got past the first few feet in the time some of these athletes had reached the top. The Douglas Fir trees used for the poles are sourced from Longleat Forest in Wiltshire. Traditionally, this variety of tree was used in mast building due to its ability to resist bending without breaking.
It was then time to head to one of the show rings to watch the parade of heavy horses.
Celebrity local farmer, Countryfile presenter and show ambassador Adam Henson was holding on tight, standing on the back of one of the horse carts whilst being interviewed about his love of the show and current farming trends.
Moving on again, we turned our attention to the forge where blacksmiths were enduring the hot weather fitting horseshoes and creating a range of wrought iron products from hanging basket holders to fireside sets in both demonstrations and competitions.
A full programme of activities was taking place in the main ring and we made sure that we were there in good time and had secured a good vantage spot to watch the Red Devils Parachute Regiment Freefall Team jump out of a plane and descend into the arena at speeds of up to 120 mph. Conditions were perfect for their jumps and we followed their descent from tiny dots in the sky down to landing in the arena.
Another highlight of the main ring was the Grand Parade of Livestock. From Herefords to Belted Galloways the cattle were beautifully turned out and proudly escorted around the arena, lining up all together in the centre. It was fun to see the championship pig taking part too, although he was taking it easy being pulled along on the back of a farm trailer.
Later in the afternoon we returned to the ring to watch the Pony Club mounted games where teams of competitors from across the three counties competed in fast paced relay races involving props such as buckets, balls and flags. The riders who were all under 15 years of age were extremely agile and it was amazing to watch them mount and dismount their ponies at full speed.
After enjoying some delicious roast pork, stuffing and apple sauce rolls from one of the many food stalls we made our way to the alpaca marquee as these animals have become a firm favourite of mine with their adorable faces and fluffy coats.
As well as numerous alpaca classes there was an opportunity to observe alpaca hand spinning techniques and feel the soft, lightweight yarn produced.
The show’s largest permanent building, the Severn Hall was home to the Orchid Show where we viewed some magnificent floral arrangements alongside fruit and vegetable competitions for both adults and school children.
In another part of the building, the Women’s Institute were doing a good trade enabling visitors to have a little rest whilst tucking into their homemade tea and cake selections.
Along one side of their cafe there was a beautiful display of handicrafts and needlework as local institutions had been invited to compete by creating an afternoon tea to commemorate the King’s coronation. The place settings looked so real like with the dainty knitted finger sandwiches, felt scones and cream cakes on display.
No visit to a country show can be complete without spending time strolling through the trade stands and at the Three Counties there were exhibitors selling all manner of goods from country wear to equine apparel, farm toys and local ciders and gins.
Approaching 6.00 p.m. our legs were becoming a little tired but it was all worthwhile as we’d enjoyed a super day out at the Three Counties Show which is a wonderful celebration of farming and rural life in the countryside for the entire family.
If you might be interested to attend the 2024 show, it will be taking place between 14-16 June.
We were guests of the Royal Three Counties Show and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.
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