Andrew Marchington’s wire winder was runner-up in the intermediate category of Farmers Weekly’s annual Inventions Competition.

Farmworker Andrew Marchington, of Copplestone in Devon, decided to build a dedicated wire winding trailer to speed up the job of dismantling stock fencing.

This has a pivoting drawbar so it can run offset to the tractor, either to the left or the right, ensuring there is no risk of the wire snagging on the wheels as it is wound in.

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The whole system is ground driven, with a series of chains and sprockets reducing the gearing to three belts that turn the bobbins.

The wires are strung through feeding eyes that move back and forth on a zig-zag mechanism so that they wind evenly across the full width of each reel.

Upon reaching a field corner, or to negotiate an obstacle, the reels can be removed and wound in by hand.

There’s a roof over the front section to protect the components from rain and mud, and space in the back to carry posts.

In all, it cost about £3,000 to build.