Shepton Mallet show with roots back to 1777

By Laura Linham 12th May 2026

Local Sport by Laura Linham 13 minutes ago

When thousands of people head to the Bath & West Showground near Shepton Mallet this May, they will be walking into a tradition that stretches back almost 250 years.

The Royal Bath & West Show returns from Thursday, 28 May to Saturday, 30 May 2026, with three days of livestock, food, farming, entertainment and family attractions.

For many in Somerset, it is simply part of the calendar.

But the show's roots go much deeper than its modern home beside Shepton Mallet.

The story began in Bath on 8 September 1777, when a group of "public-spirited gentlemen" met to form a society promoting agriculture, arts, manufactures and commerce.

It became the first society of its kind in the country.

Under its first secretary, Edmund Rack, the Bath and West quickly became a practical force for rural improvement. It encouraged better farming methods, published essays, gathered information from farmers and offered payments known as premiums to reward good practice.

Those early interests ranged from ploughing equipment and crop growing to better housing for agricultural labourers.

By the start of the 19th century, the Society had become a respected voice for farming communities across the West of England.

The show itself came later, after the Royal Agricultural Society of England held an event in Exeter in 1848. Inspired by its success, the Bath and West created an annual show of its own.

The first was held in Taunton in 1852.

It gave farmers the chance to see the latest machinery, livestock and equipment, while manufacturers from across Britain used it as a shop window for rural innovation.

Over the following decades, the show travelled around the south and west of England, drawing large crowds wherever it went.

As it grew, it became more than an agricultural exhibition. Horticulture, flowers, art displays, ceramics and furniture were added, helping turn the show into a wider celebration of rural culture.

Somerset's dairy heritage was also central to its story.

In the 19th century, cheese and butter making were vital skills on family farms, especially for women. The Bath and West set up travelling cheese and butter schools, and in 1881 became the first regional society to introduce a working dairy at its show.

Many of the instructors were local women from farms known for prize-winning butter and cheese.

They passed on practical skills, including methods linked to Cheddar cheese, and helped women build their reputations in farming and food production.

The move that shaped the show as people know it today came after the Second World War.

Without a permanent showground, and with costs rising, the Society needed a secure base. That came in 1965, when the first show was held at its newly acquired site near Shepton Mallet.

Around 60,000 people attended that year.

By the mid-1970s, attendance had risen to more than 100,000, cementing the showground's place as one of the area's best-known venues.

Since then, the site has hosted everything from food fairs and show jumping to steam events, concerts and community gatherings.

The show has changed with the times, but its agricultural heart has remained. Livestock parades, rural skills and farming displays still sit alongside trade stands, music, food and family entertainment.

In 1977, during its bicentenary year, the Society was granted the title Royal Bath and West Society by Queen Elizabeth II, who remained its patron throughout her reign.

There have been difficult years too.

The 2001 foot and mouth outbreak forced the show to be cancelled. During the Somerset Levels floods of 2013 and 2014, the Society set up the Somerset Farmers' Fund to support farmers once the water subsided.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Shepton Mallet showground took on a very different role when it became a large vaccination centre in January 2021.

Today, the Royal Bath & West Show remains one of Somerset's biggest rural events.

The 2026 show will include sheep shearing, vintage vehicles, artisan markets, craft activities, local food and drink, animal encounters and live music.

Main ring favourites are also due to return, including Pony Club Games, the Shetland Pony Grand National, heavy horses, showjumping and the Livestock Grand Parade.

For Shepton Mallet, the show is more than a visitor attraction. It is part of the area's identity, bringing town and country together each year at a showground that has become firmly woven into Somerset life.