The Royal Bath and West is an

agricultural show An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which selective breeding, breed ...

for the West of

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Held every year at its permanent show ground near

Shepton Mallet Shepton Mallet is a market town and civil parish in the Mendip District of Somerset, England, some south-west of Bath, south of Bristol and east of Wells. It had an estimated population of 10,810 in 2019. Mendip District Council is based t ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, it is one of a number of

County shows in the United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, a county show is a summer outdoor agricultural show. The events have competitions, with prizes awarded by judges, allowing farmers and breeders to show off their cattle or crops. There are many trade stands which offer th ...

and is a four-day show. In 2009 and 2010 it attracted over 155,000 people.

Background

The Royal Bath and West Show is organised and run by the

Royal Bath and West of England Society The Royal Bath and West of England Society is a charitable society founded in 1777 to promote and improve agriculture and related activities around the West Country of England. Based at the Royal Bath and West of England Society Showground near ...

. It was founded in 1777 in Bath by a group of philanthropists led by

Edmund Rack Edmund Rack (c.1735 – 22 February 1787), born in Norfolk, England, became well known in Bath, Somerset; he was a writer, particularly about agriculture, and founded notable societies. Life Rack was born in Attleborough, Norfolk, about 1735, so ...

, and is now a registered charity organisation (1039397). The Society was formed with the aims of encouraging agriculture, arts, manufacture and commerce.

The show

The annual show was initiated at

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...

in 1852 and was originally peripatetic. It was held on

Durdham Down Durdham Down is an area of public open space in Bristol, England. With its neighbour Clifton Down to the southwest, it constitutes a area known as The Downs, much used for leisure including walking, jogging and team sports. Its exposed positio ...

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

in 1886 and again in 1921. Latterly it was held in Bath in 1912 and 1927. Exeter's

Whipton Barton Whipton Barton was an estate farm to the East of Exeter. The ' Barton' suffix is the traditional Devon wording for the manor house, and indicates a demesne in the feudal system. Whilst the house and farm no longer exist, they have given their name ...

Exhibition Fields hosted the show in 1909 and 1954. The Royal Bath & West Show aims to celebrate all aspects of farming and rural life, from the best of British livestock to the latest technological innovations in the farming industry. The show offers shopping, food halls, floral marquee, rural crafts, country pursuits, dog show, equestrian competitions and arena displays. The show also attracts over 1,000 trade stands. It is set in a permanent showground, with a show ring with a 1,200-seater grandstand and complete with its own steam model railway, a canoeing lake and a professional 4x4 off-road track.

Royal visitors

Every year a member of the Royal Family visits the show. In 2008,

Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of K ...

visited the show, and in 2009 the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

and the

Duchess of Cornwall Duchess of Cornwall is a courtesy title held by the wife of the eldest son and heir of the British monarch. The current title-holder is Catherine, wife of William, Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall. Duchesses of Cornwall Until her husband' ...

both attended; the Prince of Wales had last visited the show in 1991. In 2010, the

Countess of Wessex Earl of Wessex is a title that has been created twice in British history – once in the pre-Conquest Anglo-Saxon nobility of England, and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. In the 6th century AD the region of Wessex (the lands of the W ...

become the new Vice Patron of the Royal Bath and West Society. The

Queen Mother A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also used to describe a number of ...

and

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

have also visited the show in past years.

21st century

2009 show

The 2009 Royal Bath & West Show was held from Wednesday 27 May to Saturday 30 May. Mortimer’s Farm won Supreme Champion Beef Animal with their Charolais bull ‘Mortimer’s Eurovision’. The Imagineering Fair won the Gold Medal for the best feature in Show with its display of aircraft and vehicles celebrating the 100 Years of Naval Aviation. The Smelliest Cheese competition was won by Charles Martell, the maker of the Stinking Bishop. The Champion Cheese in the Dairy Produce section, which was a block of

Davidstow Cheddar Davidstow Cheddar is a brand of Cheddar cheese manufactured by Dairy Crest, at the Davidstow Creamery in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, alongside Cathedral City Cheddar. Production Cheddar has been produced at Davidstow for over 60 years, ...

made by

Dairy Crest Saputo Dairy UK Limited is a holding company for Dairy Crest Limited, a British dairy products company. It was created in 2019 when the Canadian company Saputo Inc bought Dairy Crest. Dairy Crest itself was created in 1981 as a spin-off of the Mi ...

, was brought by R H Longman for £1000. The Cannon Ball Man, the

Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas is a British military band based at Shorncliffe. It supports the British Army and the Brigade of Gurkhas in ceremonial settings, pass off parades, concerts and many other musical support tasks. It is a directly ...

and the French ornithologist Christian Moullec with his geese, were all features of the show.

2010 show

The 2010 Royal Bath and West show took place from 2 to 5 June. Over 155,000 visitors attended, highlights included the Red Devils Parachute Display team and skilled displays from the Avon & Somerset Mounted and Dog Handling Sections. Over 2,400 Pigs, Sheep, Goats and Cattle and 2,000 horses were in competition. For the first time ever a Ladies Day took place on Friday 4 June.

References

External links

Official websiteOfficial Facebook page
{{Coord, 51, 09, 25, N, 2, 31, 35, W, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title Bath Economy of Somerset Shepton Mallet 1777 establishments in England Recurring events established in 1777 Events in Somerset