The installation of land drainage systems has been taking place in the UK for centuries. It has played a vital role in improving crop yields for farmers and transforming waterlogged land into usable space for the construction sector.
Decades ago, digging agricultural drainage ditches was a mammoth task — much of it done by hand, laying heavy clay pipes one by one. Thankfully, today’s process is faster, safer, and more automated, thanks to modern farming machinery designed to make drainage installation efficient and precise.
The introduction of these machines revolutionised agriculture and shaped businesses like ours. To celebrate, our Managing Director, Andy Cotterill, has handpicked his five favourite machines from the golden era of land drainage.
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The Ford 7700 4WD
The Ford 7700 4WD was used to pull gravel carts with side conveyors for backfilling trenches after installing land drains. Cotterills’ model featured a White’s design-built stone cart powered by a petrol engine-driven conveyor — a classic setup that defined efficiency in its day.
The Ford 7710
The Ford 7710-based articulated gravel cart was another key machine in land drainage work. Although few photos remain, this machine played a big part in many Cotterill projects involving gravel placement and trench backfill.
The K140 Barth Chain Trencher
A true icon — the Barth K140 Chain Trencher was a self-propelled track-laying machine used widely in the UK throughout the 1960s to 1980s. This particular model, captured in the late ’80s, demonstrates engineering built to last. One of these machines is still in operation today at Startin Farms, proving its incredible durability.
The Fiat Allis BD20 Bulldozer & JCB 806B Excavator
The Fiat Allis BD20 Bulldozer was used for levelling land and backfilling trenches, while the JCB 806B Excavator handled ditch cleaning, culvert installation, and tree clearance. Later models like the JCB 814S became staples of Cotterill’s fleet and remain among Andy’s favourite machines to use on-site.
Honourable Mention: The Caterpillar 955
A classic Caterpillar 955 fitted with a hedge grubbing fork earns an honourable mention. During the 1960s and ’70s, government grants encouraged farmers to remove hedgerows to increase field sizes and efficiency. Cotterills proudly owned one of these machines — this black-and-white photo was taken in the Blackmore area, Essex, in the early ’80s.
The History of Cotterill Civils
In 1986, Andy Cotterill founded Cotterill Contractors, offering agricultural contracting and land drainage services to farmers across the West Midlands. As the company grew, its services expanded to include sewage treatment installations, concreting, and farm building construction.
By 1993, Cotterill Civils was established as a dedicated supplier of land drainage and environmental solutions. Andy recalls: “Finding good, reliable suppliers for quality land drainage products was tough in the early days. In 1996, I bought our first lorry load of drainage pipe — within two weeks, half had been sold to other farmers. That’s when Cotterill Drainage was born.”
Nearly thirty years later, Cotterill Civils has grown into one of the UK’s leading suppliers of land drainage and environmental products, serving over 2,500 farmers, 3,500 contractors, and many major brands and government bodies nationwide.
Special Thanks
We would like to thank Trevor Little — a passionate machinery enthusiast who grew up surrounded by these incredible machines. His family operated many of the vehicles featured here and kindly contributed photographs and insights to this article.
Follow Trevor’s vintage machinery journey on Twitter: @Rochdogs.