In 1895 a group of Ennerdale businessmen and farmers, including Jackson and Jeremiah Rawling, John Smith and Ted Wallace, were looking for ways to support the village school. This concern perhaps arose because the winter of 1894/5 had been especially severe; a view from February 1895 showing the lake (then known as Broadwater) frozen solid under a thick layer of snow.

By summer 1895 the idea had become a flower show and “scholars treat” (picnic) followed by an evening ball. This was all to be held in the school room on the last Wednesday in August, before the Autumn term started.

This was so successful that it immediately became an annual event, although for the only time in the show’s history, it was, for a few years, held early in August before eventually reverting to the last Wednesday. In 1900 it was expanded to include produce and also a “sheep show” (Herdwicks of course), in a sense reviving the “sheep fairs” which had regularly been held in the valley many years earlier. The livestock classes had of course to be outside, so Wallace Home field near St Mary’s Church was used for these.

By now the support for the school included wagonette outings (e.g. to the seaside at St Bees) and the provision of books as school prizes

Extra classes and events such as working dogs, Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling and Hound Trails were soon added. By 1913 half breed sheep classes had begun whilst the now greatly enlarged show had moved to a field near the school which would be its home until 1950. It was also being widely advertised and special transport arranged, e.g. char-a-bancs from Whitehaven and wagonettes from local railway stations. This perhaps indicates how the show had already become an attraction not just to the local agricultural community but also to the workers in nearby industrial towns and villages. In fact the same pattern persists to this day, when a visitor to the show is as likely to work in the nuclear industry as on a lakeland farm.

The special transport no longer exists of course but Cumberland Motor Services continued to provide special or re-routed buses to Ennerdale Bridge, on show days, into the 1950s.

The 20th show was held after WWI had started – in fact it wasn’t even advertised in the Whitehaven News until 10th August, six days after war was declared! Everything then stopped for five years, with neither the appetite nor resources to hold a show, until the “Victory Show” of 1919.

This “reorganized and extended” show for the first time included classes for working horses and shorthorn cattle. Next year working dogs were included again, hound trails were run in conjunction with the show and the first children’s classes were added - for wild flower bouquets.

In 1921 a fell or cross-country race was tried, but this wasn’t to become a regular item for many years. Saddle and harness horse classes began in 1922 and proper printed programmes seem to have first been sold in 1924. Next year saw sheep dog trials, more equestrian events, the first show photograph in the Whitehaven News and the first appearance in print of the term “La’al Royal” or “Herdwick Royal”.

Things settled down now for several years – more industrial classes were around by 1933 although some had started as early as 1906. The earliest surviving picture of the show field was taken in 1929 and Border Leicester sheep were admitted in 1931.

In retrospect perhaps the most significant event of the 1930s was the presidency of “Mrs Heelis of Ambleside” in 1934. Better known now by her maiden name Beatrix Potter was a noted breeder of Herdwick sheep who won many trophies at Ennerdale and elsewhere around this time.

She was also an important member of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association and was its president –elect in 1943 but unfortunately died before she could take office.

The 41st Ennerdale Show of 1939 was held just days before war was declared on 3rd September. This time six years intervened before a “Victory Show” in 1945, just two days after “VJ” Day and with as many prewar classes restored as possible under the circumstances. Cattle breeds other than shorthorns were admitted in 1948 and Swaledale sheep a year later.

However an outbreak of foot and mouth disease at Embleton stopped the 1951 show from being held, whilst continuing restrictions caused the 1952 show to be cancelled as well. In 1953 the 48th Show revived just about all previous classes, but at a new location, Scaur Head just south of the village. Next year saw penning competitions and various classes for Young Farmers Clubs but was also the last year for working horse categories, largely ousted by tractors.

In 1958 the Show moved a short distance to Swinside, partly because of repeated muddy conditions at Scaur Head, although the new location was not to prove a great deal better with a succession of wet and windy show days. A children’s gymkhana was added to the programme in that year, followed shortly by Friesian Cattle, Blue Faced Leicester sheep and then Fell Ponies in 1971. Shorthorn classes ended in 1967 and by 1972 Friesians were the only cattle

Swinside was repeatedly unlucky with its weather, particularly bad years being the storm “disaster” of 1967 and the torrential rain of 1973.

In 1974 Ennerdale Show moved to Bowness Knott, right on the lake shore and probably the most spectacular location ever used by an agricultural show anywhere in the UK.

However this came with a drawback that was eventually to require a further move, because the show field was at the end of two miles of largely single track road, which needed a police controlled traffic system on show days.

The new location allowed revival of hound trails (1976) and for the first time for many years fell races were staged in 1977. A much enlarged children’s section with a wider range of classes was also started, and still continues, strongly supported by Ennerdale School. In 1978 however all cattle classes ended, due to declining exhibitor interest.

1982 revived the school link in dramatic fashion. As part of a campaign to save Ennerdale Village School from closure a “Save our Village School” demonstration took place on the show field, with an accompanying banner on an adjacent rock face.

Fortunately the campaign was successful and the school has since gone from strength to strength, although many of its pupils now come from outside the valley.

In 1983 Ennerdale Show was filmed by the BBC with Melvyn Bragg (who has connections in the area) for his Land of the Lakes series. Unfortunately we have been unable to persuade the BBC to part with any of the material they shot!

The following year saw still more children’s classes, notably children’s pets and a children’s fell race.

The 1985 show was cancelled due to the weather, for the only time in the show’s history, because prolonged heavy rain had made the field far too wet. Unfortunately this was only the first of a series of weather affected shows, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1989, although no others were actually cancelled. In 1986 the after effects of Hurricane Charlie caused the main marquee to be blown down overnight, so that industrial, horticultural and children’s classes could not be held, although a temporary beer tent was improvised! Weather conditions also prevented the running of either hound trails or fell races whilst this unlucky year also suffered from some livestock movement restrictions in the aftermath of the Chernobyl incident earlier in the year. In 1987 further atrocious weather caused cancellation of the children’s gymkhana, tug of war and Grand Parade. 1988 saw a much better day, with a revival of most classes and competitions from previous years’, plus sheep dog trials and Clydesdale horses – although perhaps these now should be regarded as pets rather than working animals.

In 1990 the Show moved to its present site, The Leaps, at Kirkland – and strictly is no longer in Ennerdale Parish but in Lamplugh. The site is a largely natural amphitheatre (an old railway embankment forms part of the boundary) which offers an excellent setting, although neither the lake nor any higher fells are actually visible from the show field, as they were at Bowness. It does however overcome most of the disadvantages of its predecessors, being better drained than Scaur Head or Swinside and with much better access than Bowness Knott, with roads to Lamplugh, Kirkland and Ennerdale.

Cattle classes were given one more trial at the new site, then again abandoned for lack of interest by exhibitors. Hound trails, sheep dog trials and fell races continued to attract interest and other things were tried as attractions – Llamas and clay pigeon shooting in 1991 then vintage machinery in 1998. This did lead to regular competitions which became firm favourites with classes for static farm machinery, for tractors and for vintage cars and motor cycles.

Texel and continental sheep were introduced in 1994 and heavy horse classes were firmly reinstated from 1996. This year also saw the unveiling of a memorial to veteran hound trail enthusiast Harry Kirkby This is in the form of a slate plaque in the wall at the west side of the show field.

In Millennium year 2000 the show had its “best weather for many years” with large crowds and numerous exhibitors, whilst classes for shepherd’s crooks and sticks were added to the programme

2001 was however a tragic year for farming in the UK and especially in Cumbria due to widespread outbreaks of Foot and Mouth disease which led to the slaughter of millions of sheep, cattle and pigs. No show was possible that year of course and even next year’s 95th show was severely restricted with no sheep or even horse classes due to continuing bio-security regulations. Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling however returned after an absence of some years and terrier racing – always entertaining – helped fill the gap.

2003 at last saw a return to form, described as a “marvellous success – back to its best”.

The Centenary Show of 2007 was also a major success, on a beautiful sunny day. However a small number of F&M cases earlier in the year, spread from a research establishment in the south of England, again meant restrictions prevented any sheep competitions being held. This was particularly sad for those who recognised the significance of sheep, and especially of Herdwicks, to the history of Ennerdale Show. A ban on hound trails was lifted just days before the show and this time restrictions were not placed on horses, so apart from the absence of the sheep it was an excellent day for exhibitors, visitors and organisers in which LDHS was pleased to help by setting up an exhibition of pictures of the show’s history – source of most of the material in this article.

Sheep returned in 2008 and the show has continued steadily ever since, with ups and downs due largely to the weather. 2009’s show was described locally as “picturesque but soggy” – rather a generous view since our Heritage Society tent, in which we were launching How Hall, had been moved several feet overnight by the wind and was tied to a substantial trailer to stop it going any further! How Hall is a book of poems and reminiscences by Tom Rawling, once of Ennerdale and whose family have been associated with the show since it started. It includes The Old Showfield, a description of Ennerdale Show in the late 1920s from the point of view of a twelve year old.

2012 had “a full programme in spite of the weather”. In fact many other local shows, before and after Ennerdale, were cancelled due to the weather, so the fact that this one went ahead, albeit on a cold and showery day, meant that it certainly attracted visitors and perhaps exhibitors feeling deprived at the loss of their own more local show.

This year, 2013, had some of the best weather for several years, helping towards an excellent turnout of both visitors and exhibitors, with gate receipts to make up for some past poor years.

Perhaps this note has appeared to dwell on the weather, but Ennerdale Show is an outdoor event on the edge of the wettest part of England; it is never likely to be cancelled because of the fire risk!

Details above provided by Stan Buck - Lamplugh and District Heritage Society (2013)
Photos courtesy of Whitehaven News, Ivor Nicholas and LDHS Members