For over a decade now Marown Church has marked Plough Sunday on the First Sunday of Epiphany.

This observance is associated with the return to work after the 12 days of Christmas and was revived by the Victorians from much older traditions.

Originally, such services looked forward to the sowing and then the harvesting of crops.

The plough and the seeds were brought to church to be blessed, asking for God’s provision for the coming year.

The picture shows David and Nicola Rawnsley with their two workhorses, Elle and Tempete, outside the church, as the morning worship ended with the Blessing of the Plough.

David and Nicola and their horses are regular competitors at island ploughing matches and the agricultural shows.

A spokesman for Marown Church said: ’David and Nicola, along with their beautifully liveried horses and dray carrying the plough, form the focus of our prayers as we gather outside Marown Church.

’Together, the scene represents our local community and farms as we acknowledge the huge contribution agriculture makes to our lives and well-being, and also recognise the often-harsh realities of farming, even today.’