The 25th anniversary of the working weekend known as ‘’Tracks Across the Field’’, was held on the 20th and 21st August, and organised by the Wessex Historic Tractor and Implement Club. Over one hundred, vintage and classic tractors were booked in over the weekend. John Ellis of Ben’s Green Farm, Froxfield, Hampshire had kindly given permission for 60 acres to be ploughed and cultivated.
Horsepower was represented in many different ways, including working horses, horticultural tractors, crawlers, and a large variety of vintage tractors. These included a selection of Ferguson’s, Ford’s, Fordson’s, International’s, Massey Ferguson’s, David Brown’s and Nuffield’s and some more unusual tractors including a Doe Triple-D pulling a set of trailed Simba discs and press, which made light work of the hard ground. Everyone enjoyed using their machinery.
The event was well attended by the general public, who enjoyed seeing vintage machinery in use, ploughing and cultivating. As well as looking at the stationery exhibits and stationery engines. Tractor and trailer rides were given and allowed members of the public to get close to the ploughing and see all the working tractors. Ice creams and refreshments were also available.
The conclusion of this fantastic event was the annual Sunday Crawl Past, with as many tractors and crawlers and horses working together up the field as possible. This has become a regular feature at “Tracks across the Field” and is a tradition going back to the first event in 1997, and marked the end of the weekend. Everybody, who attended, over the weekend, had lots of fun.
Plans are already being made to hold next year’s event on
the third weekend of August in 2023.
