Welcome to the show!

Belvoir Castle Steam Festival & Family Show website.
The next show is on 22nd & 23rd May 2010.

Latest news

26 January 2010

Plans are now at an advanced stage for 2010 and the same part of the Belvoir Castle Estate will be used as for the last two years.
The organisers have the option to switch to either of the sites previously used but feel that the current site is a much better venue, able to deal with wet weather better, due to the metalled roads that cross the site and that it drains much better. Access is also much easier through three main gates and the site is much more level and easier to lay out.
• Read more >>

What's at the 2010 show:

• At least 250 tractors this year
• Cylinder Tractor Display
• Tank and Helicopter rides
• John Deere Special Display
• Approx 60 full size and miniature steam engines
• Special Road Roller Association display of local steam and diesel rollers and equipment

• See full line-up list >>

 

Belvoir rally in new deal with castle

15 October 2009 - NEWS ITEM FROM OLD GLORY MAGAZINE

HOPES were raised in early September that the Belvoir Castle Steam Festival & Family Show will be able to run for a seventh year in 2010, after the show’s landlords stepped in to reverse the earlier decision not to run.
Following yet another year of adverse weather, organisers Phil Wing and Paul Appleton suffered another big four-figure loss, which followed closely on from a five-figure loss in 2006.
Phil Wing told Old Glory: “Our finances simply couldn’t take any more. There were no cash reserves and once again the two of us are having to dig deep to pay the debts.”
The show is held in beautiful parkland and is extremely popular with exhibitors and has gained a reputation as one of the best early season rallies, staged the weekend before the Spring Bank Holiday. A good turn out of exhibits this year included over 300 vintage tractors, boosted by the visit of the Ford & Fordson Association’s annual Expo event.

“There is no shortage of exhibitors and traders wanting to attend the show,” Phil explained, “but that doesn’t pay the bills. The ground is excellent on this new site and those that did brave the wet conditions were treated to an excellent show, probably the best we’ve staged. Possibly memories of the quagmire at the site we used until 2006 has put visitors off, but really they need not have worried about conditions underfoot.”
Officials at Belvoir Castle have offered the show organisers a rebate on their rent of the site for the 2009 show and to peg the 2010 rent at the same price. “This makes a huge difference to our finances,” Paul Appleton said, “along with some of the exhibitors, such as the Tractor Pullers and the Il’son Crushers, who generously returned a sizeable proportion of their appearance money. Their combined gestures have made all the difference.” As a result, Paul and Phil have agreed to give it one more go, on 22-23 May next year, and will then decide whether the show has a long-term future.
“We’re looking for sponsors,” continued Paul, “but rumours that we intend to charge all of our exhibitors to attend aren’t true. We do have at least one sponsor, for the model tent, so things are looking better for us.”
The message is clear to Old Glory readers and supporters of the show; use it or lose it.

• Anyone interested in helping Phil and Paul either financially or practically is invited to contact Paul on 01780 484630 (day) or 07887 922415 (mobile).

2009 Show report

UNFORTUNATELY the weather didn’t quite ‘play ball’ at the 2009 Belvoir Castle Steam Festival on 16-17 May, with heavy showers being the order of the day at this magnificent site in the Vale of Belvoir, writes Peter Love.

The rally is well organised by Paul Appleton, Phil Wing and their team and it was good to see Phil out and about and making a good recovery following a major illness. This was a ‘high class’ event however with an excellent selection of machinery to be seen.

• Full report and photos from the show >