"Three days at Ardingly covering everything from champion cattle to homemade chutneys. One of the south's great annual gatherings."

South of England Show

"A proper countryside fair in the Surrey Hills: farm animals, tractor rides, traditional countryside skills, artisan producers and live music around an agricultural college with views over the Downs."

Surrey Hills Country Fair

"Mid-Wales's great one-day gathering: over 1,700 entries, national-standard sheep competitions, and the particular energy of a Welsh agricultural show that genuinely matters to the people in it."

Aberystwyth and Ceredigion County Show

"Two days on the Cheshire Plain where the county's farming tradition meets its food obsession: supreme cattle champions, extraordinary local cheesemakers, and a show that has been held at Tabley since 1949."

Royal Cheshire County Show

"Scotland's greatest show. Livestock, land machinery, Highland dancing, and malt whisky in the sun, if you happen to be lucky."

Royal Highland Show

"A single-day show at Otterington Hall that quietly holds its own against the bigger county shows, Dales livestock, local producers, and that specifically North Yorkshire sense of unhurried competence."

North Yorkshire County Agricultural Show

"Three days of Cornwall at its most itself: cattle, cream teas, local crafts, and the Atlantic light slanting over the showground."

Royal Cornwall Show

"Livestock, horticulture and countryside pursuits at the foot of the Malvern Hills. Three counties, one great show."

Royal Three Counties Show

"The great flat-county show: machinery, livestock, and vast quantities of local produce under an enormous Lincolnshire sky."

Lincolnshire Show

"Two days of East Anglia at its proudest: livestock, machinery, food, and the particular flat-sky light of a Norfolk June."

Royal Norfolk Show

"Three days at Myerscough College that cover everything from champion Red Poll cattle to grand prix show jumping, Lancashire doing what Lancashire has always done at the showground, thoroughly and with no apology."

Royal Lancashire Show

"Three days at the Kent Showground, Detling: livestock, heritage crafts, Kentish food producers and the particular pride of the Garden of England showing itself off."

Kent County Show

"Cirencester Park for a summer weekend: polo ground turned showground, Cotswold livestock in the ring and artisan food producers in the field, all inside an earl's private estate."

Cotswold Show and Food Festival

"A Cornish agricultural show held on a purpose-built showground between Truro and Helston, still run by volunteers, still entirely serious about its livestock, and still the kind of July afternoon that justifies the drive."

Stithians Show

"The 167th Great Yorkshire Show at Harrogate: 35,000 visitors a day, sell-out every year, and the moment when Yorkshire's farming community gathers under its biggest and most unself-conscious sky."

Great Yorkshire Show

"Four days at Builth Wells that is the nearest thing Welsh agriculture has to a national parliament, supreme livestock, hundreds of trade stands, and a Friday evening atmosphere that is all its own."

Royal Welsh Show

"Kelso Racecourse in late July, where the cattle are Scots and the sheep are Border and the judges have opinions, the great show of the eastern Border country, with the Tweed just over the fence."

Border Union Show

"Running since 1863, still held on the same show field by the sea in North Somerset. A produce show, country fair and community reunion that operates purely on tradition, and is better for it."

Portishead Summer Show

"Self-described as the largest village show in England, held over a Saturday and Sunday in a Lincolnshire fenland village with a working windmill. The firework concert after dark is its own tradition."

Heckington Show

"Three July days at New Park, Brockenhurst: New Forest ponies, cattle from across the south, local food, country sports, and a showground set inside one of England's ancient royal hunting grounds."

New Forest and Hampshire County Show

"West Somerset's biggest country fair, held on the lawns below a National Trust castle for its 45th year. Livestock, falconry, crafts, food and a strong argument for leaving the city behind."

Dunster Country Fair

"A market town show in the Brecon Beacons foothills that has been bringing Welsh Black cattle and mountain ponies into the ring since the 19th century, surrounded by mountains on every side."

Brecon County Show

"A one-day show on the Gower Peninsula, Wales's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty giving its Sunday to cattle, ponies, goats and a showground that sits quietly between farmland and the sea."

Gower Show

"Two days at the Mona showground bring the island's farming together, livestock lines, a food hall of Anglesey produce and the particular sea light of the place."

Anglesey Agricultural Show

"A two-day Dorset show on the August hillsides above Blackmore Vale, where the landscape itself is the argument for attending: old breeds in the ring, and Thomas Hardy countryside rolling away on every side."

Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show

"Three days at Withybush Showground where West Wales takes its livestock and its leeks equally seriously, a county show with the Atlantic behind it and a natural tendency towards drama."

Pembrokeshire County Show

"A Wednesday show in late August in a North York Moors village that still takes its horses seriously, hunters, heavy breeds, and a showground in a dale that feels entirely self-sufficient."

Egton Horse and Agricultural Show

"Bank Holiday Saturday in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales: limestone pavements above, Swaledale sheep in the ring below, a show that has run for over a hundred years without ever trying to be anything it is not."

Malham Show

"A border shepherd's show in the shadow of the Cheviots, one of Northumberland's most traditional agricultural gatherings, with Cheviot sheep, cattle, horses and the Border hills right there on the horizon."

Glendale Show

"Bank Holiday Saturday in the limestone heart of the Yorkshire Dales: Wensleydale sheep in the ring, fell races up the hillsides, cheese in the tent, and the dale doing exactly what it does best."

Wensleydale Agricultural Show

"A Surrey and Kent border show that runs across August Bank Holiday weekend with genuine character: horses, cattle, show jumping, and the Weald at its most golden."

Edenbridge and Oxted Agricultural Show

"Bank Holiday Monday in Swaledale: Dales ponies, Swaledale sheep, fell races up the dale sides, and the complete absence of any reason to go anywhere else."

Reeth Show

"A one-day Norfolk agricultural show at the end of August on the market town's own showground, quiet, well-organised and deeply Norfolk, in a county that does agricultural shows as well as anywhere."

Aylsham Show

"Overdale, under Kilnsey Crag: the Upper Wharfedale show on the first day of September, where Dales cattle and sheep are judged with the limestone overhang looming fifty feet above the showfield."

Kilnsey Show

"One of the biggest one-day shows in England, held in the Cotswolds on the first Saturday of September, Shetland Pony Grand National, champion cattle, and a showground that fills the whole town with its presence."

Moreton Show

"Two September days on the showground at Dorchester with the county at full stretch: livestock from the Purbeck coast and the vale, local cider, local cheese, and Dorset going about its business with its customary lack of fuss."

Dorset County Show

"Two September days at Crooklands, where Cumbria's livestock and rural skills are given the space they deserve, Herdwick sheep competing in the ring with the Lake District fells as the weather behind them."

Westmorland County Show

"Somerset in September: a town that has been judging cheese since 1876, Cheddar at its finest, Caerphilly from the Welsh end of things, and a show ring that still takes its goats as seriously as anything."

Frome Cheese Show

"A South Downs village fair that has been trading sheep since the 12th century, still entirely about the sheep, still held on the village green, and still rather pleased with itself about both."

Findon Sheep Fair

"Horse and tractor ploughing judged furrow by furrow across a Kent stubble field, with a farmers market, gymkhana and the unhurried social weather of a working country day."

Weald of Kent Ploughing Match

"Two September days at the Berkshire county showground: livestock, rural crafts, local food and a show ring that has been drawing the county together for well over a century."

Newbury Show

"A one-day North Yorkshire show in September that has been the anchor of the Stokesley social calendar since 1859, prize Cleveland Bays, heavy horses, North York Moors ponies, and a town that turns out completely."

Stokesley Show

"Bewerley Park on the third Sunday of September: the valley gathers itself for one more great day before autumn sets in, with Dales ponies, produce and the particular amber light of Nidderdale in September."

Nidderdale Show

"The last show of the English season, held in the Coquet Valley in mid-October with the Cheviots above and Northumberland all around, Border sheep, sheepdog trials and views that make the drive entirely worth it."

Alwinton Border Shepherds' Show

"The most famous of the Highland games, with tossing the caber, hill races and massed pipe bands, often attended by royalty."

Braemar Gathering

"The March of the Lonach Highlanders, kilted men with pikes walking the glen, precedes a day of games at Strathdon."

Lonach Highland Gathering

"Heavy events, highland dancing and pipe bands on Aboyne Green in a long-running Deeside gathering."

Aboyne Highland Games

"Classic Deeside games of caber, hammer and dancing in a village beside Balmoral."

Ballater Highland Games

"The largest Highland games in the world, closing with a torchlit march of massed pipe bands through Dunoon."

Cowal Highland Gathering

"A traditional one-day agricultural show in the Mourne foothills with livestock, horses and home industries."

Castlewellan Show

"A traditional one-day show on the edge of Dartmoor with livestock, horticulture and terrier racing."

Chagford Show

"Heavy events, dancing and a hill race above the town, closing with massed pipe bands in Highland Perthshire."

Pitlochry Highland Games

"One of the highest village games in Scotland, with heavy events and dancing in the Cairngorms."

Tomintoul Highland Games

"A long-running west Dorset agricultural show on the coast near Bridport with livestock and food halls."

Melplash Show

"A one-day Hampshire show by the Test valley with livestock, heavy horses and a grand parade."

Romsey Show

"Caber and hammer beside Loch Fyne in the grounds of Inveraray Castle, seat of the Duke of Argyll."

Inveraray Highland Games