The Monmouth Show is the largest one-day agricultural show

Agricultural show

An agricultural show is a public event showcasing the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show , a trade fair, competitions, and entertainment...

 in Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

, taking place annually in Monmouth

Monmouth

Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....

.

Origins in 1790s

The origins of the show date back to the 1790s when the town's agricultural society organised ploughing matches. Another landmark event was on May 30th, 1857, when the eighth Duke of Beaufort

Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort

Captain Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort KG, PC, DL , styled Earl of Glamorgan until 1835 and Marquess of Worcester from 1835 to 1853, was a British peer, soldier and Conservative politician...

 and Sir Charles Morgan M.P. each put £10 into a fund to start the Monmouth Cattle Show.

The Modern Show since 1875

The modern origins of the show date to 1875 when a show was held in the town's newly established cattle market in Chippenham Fields. The show was then held annually (firstly in October, but then eventually moved to August - taking up its now traditional date of the last Thursday in August) up until the First World War. The show was restarted in 1919 when it was renamed the Monmouthshire County Show. The show was not held during the period of the Second World War, but from 1946 until 2006 it was held each year on the grounds of Vauxhall Fields. The show was not held in 1956 or 2001 due to outbreaks of foot and mouth disease.

2007 marked the 150th anniversary of the Monmouthshire Show Society. That same year the show moved to a new site on the Redbrook Road in Monmouth.