The Kent County Agricultural Society formed in 1923, following the meeting a year earlier by a group of farmers and land owners who had begun preparations for what was to become the newly formed Kent County Agricultural Society’s inaugural event.

The Society, with 63 Members of Council, chaired by The Right Honourable The Earl of Guilford and more than 800 members approached the town of Gravesend to host the 1923 Show. In the official guide and programme, The Mayor stated that the town was about to receive “the biggest advertisement it had been privileged to enjoy and in the spirit of enterprise and confidence, should accept the opportunity to advance Gravesend.”

The first Kent County Agricultural Show was duly held at Wombwell Hall Park, on Tuesday 19, Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 June 1923. Farming was feeling the start of the depression and the guaranteed income for agriculture during the First World War was coming to an end.

The Right Honourable The Earl of Darnley, the Society’s first President, reported that the first annual Show at Gravesend was a success in terms of entries for livestock, which the Council reported were “exceptionally good, and proof that the effort to produce a County Show for Kent fulfilled a long-felt want, and was appreciated by Breeders and Agriculturalists alike.”

Not only did the 1923 catalogue show a full schedule of livestock competitions and trade stands but also included a week of evening entertainment. Bands, concerts, drama productions, swimming exhibitions, schools’ sports and a carnival were part of a larger celebration of the town of Gravesend, which had opened its streets for the Kent County Agricultural Society.

It was agreed following the first Show, that the annual event met a most definite requirement and the new President, R Bruce Ward, selected his home town of Ashford as the 1924 venue.

With Colonel The Right Honourable Lord Cornwallis as Chairman and HRH Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester agreeing to be guest of honour, the Show promised to be a triumph.  The second Show at Barrow Hill, Ashford took place on 10, 11 and 12 July 1924 with more than 100 trade exhibitors and 250 exhibitors of stock, including His Majesty the King, who showed Shorthorn Cattle from The Royal Farms at Windsor.

Prince Henry had honoured the Society and expressed his extreme pleasure at being able to attend “the excellent Show with all its interesting exhibits.”  The format for the next 80 Shows was now beginning to emerge and with a balance of funds sitting at £1,995, the Kent County Agricultural Society began its plans for the next County Show, which would be an amalgamation with the Bath & West and Southern Counties Society for the Maidstone Show and would take place from May 28 to June 2 1925.  The fourth annual Show was held in Margate on 15, 16 and 17 July 1926, at Northdown House and Park, the estate owned by the new President, Captain J I H Friend.

Two unfortunate setbacks happened in 1926: a general industrial strike and an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. This led to a decrease in entries and many empty stalls.  Spirits were not dampened, however, and it was announced that the 1927 Show would be held in the stunning 30-acre park at Knole in Sevenoaks.

In 1928, new President, The Right Honourable Viscount Folkestone, offered the site at the foot of Caesar’s Camp in Folkestone as the venue for the sixth Annual Show.  The ground was quarter of a mile from Shorncliffe Railway Station and a mile from Folkestone Central Station. The Show, which took place on 17, 18 and 19 July in glorious weather, made a small financial profit. Milking trials were held for the first time and had good entries, while the Great Horse Ring – which was as big as the one at the Royal Show – proved a big attraction, with almost continuous competitions from 1.30 pm to 6.30 pm. The jumping and driving classes were said to be of an incredibly high standard and sheep dog demonstrations were introduced as a new feature, creating a lot of interest.  The 1928 Show had been such a success that Viscount Folkestone agreed to stay on as Society President and under his patronage, the 1929 Show was also staged in Folkestone.

By 1930, agriculture was hit by the economy and the numbers of livestock entering the Show was down on previous years, while two days of rain affected the gate numbers and it was not surprising that receipts all round were disappointing.  The Show continued until the outbreak of World War II.

The Kent County Show resumed in 1947 under the Presidency of The Lord Lieutenant of Kent, The Rt. Hon. Lord Stanley Cornwallis, who returned to the helm with renewed enthusiasm for the Society. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent’s visit to the Show on the first day was a great success. She was met at the main gates by the President and the Mayor and Mayoress of Maidstone.

The Council was determined that its first post-war Show should be celebrated in a fitting manner and every effort was made to overcome the challenges of putting on a Show after so many years’ absence and having to elect new Committees and embrace the community after so many years away.

The 19th Annual Show in was staged at Mote Park, the new permanent Showground. Major Friend continued as he had before the outbreak of the Second World War as Chairman, and Lord Cornwallis agreed to stand as President. With this continuity, the Society was in a strong position and organised itself with a constitution and well-disciplined committees that would form even stronger foundations for the Society.

The appalling weather and subsequent condition around Mote Park in 1960 caused some bad publicity and criticism of the Society for not providing permanent roads around the Showground. The Corporation of Maidstone had no problem with the Society building road systems around the Showground, provided they were taken up at the end of each Show and the surface restored – which would have involved the Society in expenditure quite beyond the limits of its financial reserves.

At a Council meeting held at the ground, a special Committee, entitled Planning and Policy, was formed and given the task of addressing the challenges that had arisen. George Stevens, Vice-Chairman, took on the challenge of investigating all options and reporting his findings back to the Members.

On 21 October 1960, five members of the Committee met at the Royal Star Hotel in Maidstone to discuss whether or not to devote money to the improvement of the present Showground, or to use the available capital to acquire a new permanent ground for the Society.

Although there was an amicable association with the Corporation of Maidstone, it was felt that there might come a time when possible staff changes or politics could mean a change in the current relationship. George Stevens asked whether the Society’s new Planning and Policy Committee could be empowered to recommend the acquisition of a permanent Showground. Alan Day agreed that this was the obvious path to take and that other leading Show Societies were following the trend of purchasing their own grounds.

George Stevens had made extensive searches to find alternative sites, 19 in total, and by 4 February 1963, George Stevens had been elected Chairman and the contracts had been exchanged on Murrain Place and Ten Acres. The Kent Agricultural Society was now the proud owner of its own Showground.

The last Kent County Show at Mote Park in Maidstone marked an important change for the Kent County Agricultural Society. It had been a monumental task to build the Shows at the site on the outskirts of Maidstone, with a 14-week build time and a small army of Committee members. However, the task ahead, to turn the grazing land at Murrain Place into a workable Showground, would be a labour of love, with little rest or time to reflect on decisions.

Lord Cornwallis, whose father had been involved in the formation of the Society in 1923, suggested this would be an admirable legacy for all who had ever been involved with the Society, and felt proud and privileged to have been part of this current venture. Leading the changes was Chairman George Stevens who, together with a small team of experts, set about planning the grounds.

HRH Princess Alexandra and The Hon. Mrs Ogilvy declared the new Showground open on Wednesday 15 July 1964 at a ceremony where the prayer of dedication was given by the Right Reverend Bishop of Maidstone. The unusual layout of the two large rings proved popular, as they provided a continuous programme in both throughout the Show, while the concentration of agricultural machinery stands along each side of the main approach made an ideal introduction for visitors to the Ground.

The 1971 two-day Show was held for the first time on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 July, and while attendance figures were up on previous years, there was a decline in the large agricultural machinery exhibitors.   The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas put on an impressive display in the South Ring while in the North Ring, a flight of model aircraft with explosions caused some problems for the horse classes. The Food Fair was introduced in 1971, which proved extremely popular with a different public audience at last able to attend on the Saturday.

In 1972 the Society was honoured to welcome a Royal competitor when Princess Anne competed in the Spillar’s Combined Competition. Despite her request that no special arrangements should be made, the public and members of the Kent County Agricultural Society were delighted that she chose to compete in Kent.

1979 was the Show’s Golden Anniversary and in celebration, the 50th Annual Show was held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 12, 13 and 14 July. The Golden Jubilee Show proved to be a best seller, helped by headlines in the local press such as ‘A Gold Top County Show,’ ‘This year’s Anniversary Kent County Show looks like being a blockbuster,’ ‘A Golden Welcome awaits at the County Show’ and ‘It’s Fifty Years on for the Kent Show.’

On 13 December 1988 Robin Leigh-Pemberton received a letter from The Rt Hon Sir William Heseltine, Private Secretary to Her Majesty The Queen, to say that Her Majesty and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh would be pleased to visit The Kent County Show on 14 July 1989.

The public announcement was not made until 5 January and it was indicated that the information should be kept confidential with the exception of those within the Society, who would need to begin planning immediately for such an auspicious occasion.

Buckingham Palace was keen that the visit should coincide with the opening of the new premises of the Royal Society for the Blind at Dorton House in Sevenoaks. Robin Leigh-Pemberton thought that it was quite possible for the Royal Party to drive to the Showground at Detling in time for the official lunch and spend the afternoon touring the Show.

In March a letter arrived from Windsor to the Secretary, Frances Day to inform the Society that The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh had decided to leave the county by train for the return journey to Windsor from Bearsted Station. British Rail was working hard to try and accommodate their request to leave as late as possible, without disrupting the Friday evening rush-hour commuters.

The Queen had approved the official lunch menu, but it was suggested that the caterers should have the first course ready on the table so that the time spent at lunch could be reduced to a minimum, creating more time for seeing the Show.  It was also suggested that plates should be cleared away promptly and that coffee be served straight after the cheese course.

The Queen received the civic dignitaries and Society officers in the Main Ring before officially opening the new Pavilion by cutting a red ribbon across the entrance. The Royal Party proceeded to the John Hendry Members’ Pavilion to greet the Society’s invited guests and officials before being seated for lunch.

At 2.35pm the permanent staff at the Showground were presented before The Queen and Prince Philip went on foot to the Cherry and Soft Fruit Show. After 10 minutes talking to growers, the Royal party left the marquee and proceeded down Churchill Avenue by car to the British Farming Demonstration. The Queen’s final duty of the day was to present the Society’s long-service awards and a selection of trophies, before leaving the Showground for her train at Bearsted.

The new Millennium began with John Jennings in place as Chairman and Willie McKeever as Vice-Chairman and while there may have been grey clouds for most of the three-day Show, the sun shone brightly on Saturday when tribute was paid to the men who had served at Detling during the war.

On 19 February 2001 the first case of foot and mouth was reported in Essex and over the next four days several more cases were confirmed. The impact was to become apparent over the ensuing weeks; the farming community was in crisis and the threat to Britain’s agriculture and tourism industries was overwhelming.

In April, Chairman John Jennings told members that the Executive Committee had made the difficult decision to go ahead with the Show. While many other Agricultural Societies decided to cancel their annual event, The Kent County Show would take place – but without the usual farm animals. Planning a different kind of Show began in earnest and Francis Day, Chief Executive, looked at enhancing the Food Tent, Flower Show (which had the added attraction of the BBC Gardening Roadshow), the Farming Fayre and Forestry area.

The horse showing classes were still scheduled and The King’s Division Waterloo Band and Lings Motorcross Display Team would take centre stage in the Falmouth Ring, instead of the usual Grand Parade of livestock. A gun dog display and terrier racing replaced some of the livestock classes and there was also a display of birds of prey.  BMX bikes and skateboarding provided a different style of entertainment for visitors, as did a visit from Louis Theroux, the TV journalist, who was making a documentary about Maidstone MP Ann Widdecombe. The sheep lines became a Farmers’ Market, supported by the Society and Kentish Fayre.

Although the 2001 Show was the first in the Society’s history to take place with no cloven-hoofed animals, it nevertheless proved successful on many levels. Traders were grateful for the opportunity to take part, as was the equine fraternity. The Kent County Show is an important date in the horse calendar and 2001 saw more than 2,000 entries, with a significant increase in the show jumping classes. Total visitor attendance over the three days was down as expected by around 22 per cent.

The year 2003 began with the Society celebrating both its 40th anniversary at the Detling site and 80 years since the Society had formed, but also with the news that Francis Day would retire immediately after the 2003 Show, handing its running and that of the Event Centre to Jonathan Day, the current Deputy Chief Executive.  Francis had been a part of the Society for 28 years, starting as a horse steward, then becoming John Hendry’s assistant and finally taking on the responsibility of running the annual event in 1985. Willie McKeever was elected Chairman and George Jessel his Vice Chairman.

The main attraction for the 2003 Show on 11, 12 and 13 July was four of Her Majesty’s carriages from the Royal Mews: the Scottish State Coach, drawn by a team of greys, Queen Alexandra’s Coach, used for the State Opening of Parliament, the Ascot Landau and the Balmoral Landau, both drawn by teams of bays.

Another big attraction for 2003 was the international sheep shearing event organised by the Kent County Shears, formerly The Romney Shears, on 12 July.  Shearers in the final sheared 20 sheep in an impressive16 minutes. The sun shone for all three days and temperatures stayed up in the eighties. Visitor numbers were 4,000 up on the previous year and the vibrant livestock area proving a huge draw for the crowds.

The Society’s first Living Land event took place on Thursday 6 May, an event dreamt up by David and Roz Day, Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Education and Awards Committee. Aimed at primary school children aged between seven and nine in academic years 3 and 4, it offered 3,000 children from 65 Kent schools the chance to learn where food came from and how it was produced, and promoted a better understanding of farming and rural life – with the emphasis on fun.

Kent Young Farmers brought their animals along, as most had been hand reared and were used to human contact. Princess Christian Farm brought pigs and the Sussex Cattle Society brought one of its prize bulls. A working dairy courtesy provided by a local farmer, who brought along six of his best milking cows, proved to be one of the highlights of the day.

Other activities included rural crafts in Murrain Wood and the Sheep Show, which featured several breeds of sheep and a shearing demonstration. Dozens of other organisations got involved and the day was considered such a success that planning for the event the following year began immediately.

The Kent Pavilion took centre stage at the 2005 Show and was full of food from the UK as well as France, America and, most importantly, Kent, giving the new building a real international flavour. The Show would be remembered for its glorious sunshine, but alas the heat inside the new all-glass building was not ideal for a large celebration. Despite the new Pavilion causing some discomfort for the stands inside, elsewhere on the Showground the Show attracted the crowds once more and attendance figures were reported as well over 105,00. Wolves and otters proved a very popular added attraction in the Countryside area and around 1,000 sheep were sheared during the finals of the Romney Shears and English National Shearing Competition on the Sunday.

The Why Farming Matters area proved extremely popular in 2007 when it was introduced and so for 2008, more organisations were invited to participate and the area focused on the importance of farming.  The main theme was “farm to fork” and included a number of interactive educational displays.

In the Falmouth Ring The Dancing Diggers, a JCB stunt team performed dare devil stunts and formation dancing to provide entertainment for visitors.

The Society celebrated its 80th Show in 2009 and to mark the occasion T.R.H.  The Earl and Countess of Wessex attended the Show on Friday.  The weather was particularly unkind and even in July, coats were needed.  The Royal Couple were greeted by the Lord-Lieutenant of Kent, Mr. Allan Willett CMG, who escorted them onto the Showground to be introduced to civic dignitaries.  Their first official duty was to present the Long Service and Forestry Awards outside Alan Day House and then George Jessel, KCAS Chairman introduced the Royal Couple to the office staff who organised the Show.