Torrential rain meant nobody would be combining around Bristol today (28 August), and harvest is only about 60% complete.

Chris Vowles had not even started combining at Freemans Farm, Barrow Gurney, as his spring barley was not yet ripe.

“It was too wet to plant anything last autumn, and the fertiliser was too expensive, so I opted for all spring barley, and it’s ended up a really cheap crop,” he said.

The wettest July since 1888 meant Mr Vowles had only just finished haymaking. And continued showers were hampering everyone’s efforts to get combining.

“It’s just one day dry, one day wet – there is a lot of frustration about.”

However, the Waggon spring barley was standing up well to the weather, and looked like a decent crop.

“It will ripen in the next fine spell – if we get one. There’s no point in doing it when it’s not ripe.”