2011 Show
photo gallery
Many thanks to
Arnold Photographic Society for many of the photos used on this website

Moorgreen Country Show is held over the
August Bank Holiday Weekend,
at the Showground in Watnall...
...only 4 miles west of Nottingham

The Country Show is a historic annual event, crammed full of all kinds of goodies and features. Moorgreen Show attracts over 20,000 visitors during the two days, involves 3,000 participants, activities and trades – so there's a huge amount to see and do at the Show!

Many visitors to the Show perhaps don't realise that the Show is actually a Registered Charity (Registered Charity No 1056290), and costs in the region of £120,000 each year to stage! Moorgreen Show continually relies on the financial support of generous local businesses and individuals, together with the hard-work of an army of volunteers who work tirelessly. Read more about how you can help contribute, volunteer and donate to the show!

The 2012 Moorgreen Show
Sections – enjoyed by both the
public and participant alike
– are held in both the Showground
and Marquee.

The Sections include:
Heavy and Light Horse,
Show Jumping, Livestock, Birds,
Animals and Pets, Horticulture
and Culinary.

To compete in these Sections, please
go to: How to Participate

Corn Laws abolished. First introduced in 1804 when the landowners, who dominated Parliament, sought to protect their profits by imposing a duty on imported corn.

The first Bowler hat saw the light of day.

Florin (2 shilling coin) introduced.

Safety pin patented by American inventor Walter Hunt.

The first Moorgreen Show was staged.

History
The first Moorgreen Show was staged in 1849, just over half a mile away from the present Showground,
on land adjacent to the Horse & Groom Inn, Moorgreen. At that time the Moorgreen Show Society
was a showcase for small growers of horticultural produce and flowers, which was a useful source of food
and a hobby for many the local workers. Later, interest in agriculture widened the show's scope.

Popularity of the Show increased tremendously by the time of the Silver Jubilee in 1874,
drawing a large crowd not only from Nottingham but from further afield as well.
It was at this point that horse jumping was introduced – the start of changes which would lead
to today's broader popular appeal.

By the 1899 Golden Jubilee, the Society was well recognised and the event had grown in size considerably
over the previous fifty years. The introduction of show stands steadily increased visitors numbers.
In that same year a local pub proclaimed itself open from 10 til 10, in a far gentler era of alcohol imbibement.

Throughout the Show's long history it has seen many historical events including, sadly, two world wars.
Indeed such was the devastating impact on the nation overall that the Show was suspended for some time
during these cataclysmic events. However, the Society was still in existence and, although in 1943 the show
was cancelled, the Society made several charitable donations, among them £14 13s. 6d
to Nottingham General Hospital.

In 1965 the show was rescheduled to take place on Monday, resulting in record figures in 1969,
with over 19,000 visitors and over 2,500 cars.

The Show's hard working volunteers deal with a much bigger organisational task these days and
with just forty people running the event there is always the need for more help.
The 1923 Show cost a grand total of £279 – today's is in the region of £120,000!

The Show moves on, it will be interesting to see how it reflects the changes in wider society,
who knows what will be at the Moorgreen Show in the year to come!