Plough Sunday celebrations

A procession of tractors paraded around the Cathedral Close at the weekend as the annual Plough Sunday celebrations took place.

Plough Sunday celebrates the beginning of the agricultural year and all who work in farming.

Tractors from the Starting Handle Club Norfolk took part in the festivities at Norwich Cathedral on Sunday (14 January), with the Dean of Norwich, the Very Revd Dr Andrew Braddock, and the Cathedral’s Canon Precentor, the Revd Canon Aidan Platten, driving two of the tractors.

Following the procession, there was a special Evensong service during which the blessing of the plough and the seed took place and the hymn We Plough The Fields And Scatter was sung.

The service was sung by the boys, lay clerks and choral scholars of Norwich Cathedral Choir.

The Dean of Norwich, the Very Revd Dr Andrew Braddock, said: "The farming community play a vital role in the life of the county and diocese. Having welcomed representatives of the farming community at Harvest, this was another opportunity to pray for them and to recognise our inter-dependence with the world around us."

Photographer Bill Smith captured some of the Plough Sunday highlights on camera.