‘God speed the plough’

On the evening before the Welsh National Ploughing and Hedging Championships held at Llancayo, Usk on September 25th a service was held in the Priory Church of St Mary to bless the plough.
This an age old custom that goes back to the middle ages. The purpose was to bring good luck and ensure that the crops sown after ploughing would yield well at the next harvest.

The service was led by Rev’d Sally who blessed the plough, kindly loaned by Frank Sutton and carried into the church by members of Usk Young Farmers’ Club.

The service, which included a number of favourite harvest hymns and bible readings in English and Welsh, was enjoyed by a congregation of over 80, made up of ploughmen and their supporters from all over Wales and beyond, who gathered at Llancayo after the service to enjoy fellowship and a hog roast, prior to the ploughing and hedging competitions the following day.