Giant festive tractor, Land Rover and 59ft crop sprayer turns motorists' heads in East Yorkshire

A giant tractor with thousands of LED lights is again catching the attention of thousands of motorists in East Yorkshire.

This year marks the fifth that farmer’s son Andrew Wilkinson has installed his display, originally created in memory of his dad David who died of cancer.

He has dropped the plough off and attached a crop sprayer to the full-scale tractor - but had to reduce its width to 18 metres (59ft) so it fits into his friend’s garden at Hayton, on the A1079.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The display, which includes a Land Rover Defender based on the one his father drove, has proved an incredible vehicle for raising funds for Cancer Research UK, accruing more around £12,000 so far.

Andrew Wilkinson, of Hayton, near Pocklington, is again raising money for charity with his magnificent Christmas Lights display  Picture: James HardistyAndrew Wilkinson, of Hayton, near Pocklington, is again raising money for charity with his magnificent Christmas Lights display  Picture: James Hardisty
Andrew Wilkinson, of Hayton, near Pocklington, is again raising money for charity with his magnificent Christmas Lights display Picture: James Hardisty

Mr Wilkinson, who was a farmer but now works for an agricultural dealership, built the display from scratch using metal frames covered in wire mesh.

He chose the green and yellow of the John Deere to match the real thing, while the ultraviolet was the nearest colour to the maroon of his dad’s Land Rover.

He said: “The idea came to me a few years ago. I used to decorate the house for Christmas anyway and I thought it would be a good thing to do in 2016, 10 years after Dad passed away.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It’s a completely purpose-built frame and the tractor and the plough have in the region of 6,000 to 7,000 lights.

The display is in a garden just off the A1079, Town Street, Hayton  Picture: James HardistyThe display is in a garden just off the A1079, Town Street, Hayton  Picture: James Hardisty
The display is in a garden just off the A1079, Town Street, Hayton Picture: James Hardisty

“It gets a lot of attention - it needs to to raise money. It raised £4,500 last year and I’m hoping I can see that figure again this year.”

Sponsors have put up prizes ranging in value from £50 to a £2,500 ride-on mower.

“Every pound someone donates means a ticket into the raffle - it works well,” added Mr Wilkinson. Hopefully Dad would be proud of the amount of money I’ve raised.”

Followers on social media have been full of praise for the unusual display. Visit www.facebook.com/TheChristmasTractor. It also has a page on JustGiving.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.