Full Event Listing with Details from December 2025 on

11th Dec 2025          NEW! Winter Webinar 1: “On the trail of a rare pear”, with Wade Muggleton, Macher Apple Network: Members only

19:00-20:30  online. To book a place and receive a link to the webinar email secretary@marcherapple.net

This is MAN’s first ever evening webinar – and one of a series of Marcher Apple Network Winter Webinars! Join MAN member and author of the The Orchard Book, The Apples and Orchards of Worcestershire and The Worcester Black Pear

Wade will recount the story of how his research into one particular pear, the Worcester Black, lead to to an intriguing piece of detective work and the whole subject of how pears are such an intriguing and under studied area of fruit history.

15th Jan 2026   Winter Webinar 2: Looking after the National Fruit Collection, with Dr Matthew Ordidge, Department of Crop Science, University of Reading: Members only

19:00-20:30 online. To book a place and receive a link to the webinar email secretary@marcherapple.net

Dr Matt Ordidge has acted as Curator for the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale since 2008. He has overseen much of the genetic analysis of the collection and advised on the FruitID DNA scheme (for which MAN has been an active participant) from its conception.

He will update us on the curation of the collection and gives us a summary of its management as a genebank over recent years.

13th Feb 2026  Winter Webinar 3: The Wild Orchard – the Habitat Value of Traditional Orchards, with Steve Oram, People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and the Orchard Network: Members only

19:00-20:30 online. To book a place and receive a link to the webinar email secretary@marcherapple.net

The Wild Orchard – Traditional orchards are as famed for their habitat value as they are for their fruit. Steve Oram of PTES and the Orchard Network takes us through what it is that makes them so rich in biodiversity.

28th Feb 2026    Marcher Apple Network Grafting Course, 10am to 2pm at Nash Village Hall, Shropshire

Great news! The February 2026 MAN Grafting Course is confirmed.

Sat 28th Feb 2026  10am to 2pm at Nash Village Hall, Shropshire

Email Gareth at secretary@marcherapple.net to book your place.

12th Mar 2026   Winter Webinar 4: Fruit ID Database with Peter Laws, Fruit ID: Members only

More details to follow very soon.

25th Apr 2026 MAN Orchard Visit – Hartpury Orchard Centre and National Perry Pear Centre: Members Only

In 2024 we started MAN member orchard visits and this year we are thrilled to have our first orchard visit to The Hartpury Orchard Centre and National Collection of Perry Pears, just north of Gloucester.

This collection was set up in early 2000’s – the first trees planted in 2005, the wetland reserve dug in 2007/8 and the Centre itself opened in 2009.
The pears are an impressive collection but there are also apples which are managed by the Gloucestershire Orchard Trust and 99 Pines has taken on the on-site production of perry.

The wetlands are benefitting from input from Gloucestershire Naturalists’ Society and the scrub area from Natural England grant aid to become better managed with rotational cutting, and the brash used to produce wood mulch and charcoal.

This will be a fascinating orchard to visit and we will be hosted by Jim Chapman who manages the National Collection. The cider bar will be open!

Details for the day will be available in March to those who express and interest to attend.

If you would like to attend, please email secretary@marcherapple.net

If you would like to car share (have space or want a ride) then please let us know so we can carpool where possible.