Founded in Bodmin in 1793 as the Cornwall Agricultural Society, the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association, as it has been known since 1858, boasts a long and proud tradition of agricultural promotion and tradition.
The first event, staged in September 1793, consisted of a ploughing match near the Red Lion Inn in Truro. The following year saw prizes for livestock being added to the awards on offer.
Although based in the then county town of Bodmin in North Cornwall from 1793 to approximately 1827, competitions were often also held in various other parts of the county
From 1827 to 1857, the annual show saw Truro as its home. Truro was by then very much the fashionable centre of Cornish life but in 1858 the Association turned nomadic, staging the annual show in the east and west of Cornwall in alternate years.
This year also saw the addition of Royal to the Association's title. Apart from breaks during the two wars, the show was to be staged on the above basis until 1960 when the Royal Cornwall Showground at Wadebridge became its permanent home.
Our permanent showground near Wadebridge is transformed into a bustling village for three days in June.
While the show is the main focus of our work, we have an active showground year-round, as the events listing shows.
The showground has modern facilities, including the stylish new Pavilion Centre and is a perfect location for a huge range of events.
The Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association, originally founded as the Cornwall Agricultural Society in 1793, and a registered charity since 1926, owns over 200 acres and rents/leases approximately a further 30 acres.
The showground itself, covering some 95 acres, has been developed to provide a venue second to none for the annual Royal Cornwall Show and a host of other events.
Comments