A Brief History

John Fowler was born into a wealthy Quaker family, he became an engineer rather than following his family business as a corn merchant. He saw the aftereffects of the potato famine in Ireland and started to devise ways of using machinery to plough boggy waste land which could be used to grow food.

After a few hitches and the machines sunk, he eventually came up with the idea of using steam engines instead of horses. Two engines, one either side of the field and using a pulley system to pull the plough back and forth between them. He made living vans to give the workers places to sleep and eat in between travelling and ploughing the land.

Apart from the addition of some modern creature comforts it’s in original condition and is a wonderful opportunity to step back in time and experience the nostalgia of life on the road.

Our Fowler Ploughing Van sleeps 2 in a double bed and the 2-day seats can also be used for 2 additional beds if required.

For your comfort and convenience it is fitted with the following:

– A flushing toilet
– A woodburning stove (wood supplied)
– Sink with running cold water
– A fridge with a freezer compartment
– A gas ring for cooking
– A microwave
– Toaster
– All kitchen utensils
– Electric heating
– Mains power points
– Electric lighting
– Outdoor table & chairs
– Car parking
– Toilet/shower block is 35 metres away