Chard Farm Show

Chard attracts visitors and locals to its farm show

This field on the edge of Chard is the site for the Farm Show. The busy market town is on the route from London to Exeter. In the Middle Ages there were weekly markets and annual fairs in Chard with the annual fair attracting buyers and sellers from a wide area. In 1842 Chard’s lacemakers walked out and rioted after a cut in wages. The town also became known for its iron foundries.

Chard developed from a small hamlet situated at Old Town before it became a borough by the granting of a Royal Charter by King John in 1234. Cerdon or Cerdre meaning Royal House of Cerdic, a Celtic name, grew as a settlement a short distance away from the original hamlet. The town developed around the wool trade and then lacemaking and engineering. Dening and Co. Ironmongers and manufacturers of agricultural machinery are a local employer and farm shows remain part of the agricultural calendar.