Marcher Apple Network

Marcher Apple Network

RHWYDWAITH AFALAU’R GORORAU

Reviving the Old Apple and Pear Varieties in the Welsh Marches

Major apple and pear events 2025

Please note that we will update this events calendar throughout the year so please revisit it to get the latest news about events. For further details check out the ‘Full Event Listing with Details’ by scrolling down beneath the ‘Events Overview’. If you are interested in joining or helping at an event please email secretary@marcherapple.net
For ‘Members Only’ events, please Join the Marcher Apple Network!  We look forward to meeting you!

Events Overview

28th Feb          Film: Welcome to the Orchard of England at Regal Cinema, Tenbury Wells

8th March        Course: Grafting Course at Nash Village Hall: Members only

March:              Purchase of MAN heritage trees: Members only

4-5th April        British Beekeepers Association Spring Convention, Harper Adams

26th April         Paramor Picnic, MAN’s Paramor Orchard, Cwmdu

4-5th May         Big Apple Blossomtime weekend, Marcle Ridge, Herefordshire

14th July          Pruning Course at Paramor Orchard. Members only                 

23-24 July        Black Mountains Festival, Talgarth, Powys

12th August     Orchard visit near Tal-y-bont on Usk – Members only

Sept | Oct        Orchard visit – Date and location to be confirmed: Members only

4th Oct             Tenbury AppleFest, Tenbury Wells. MAN stand

11-12th Oct      The Big Apple, Much Marcle: MAN stand

11-12th Oct      National Botanic Garden of Wales Apple Day: MAN stand on Sunday only

18th Oct           Leominster Apple Fair, Leominster: MAN stand

15th Nov          AGM, Ludlow – followed by cider apple workshop with Liz Copas: Members only

December        Frank P Matthews Christmas Fair: MAN stand

 

Full Event Listing with Details

28th Feb Film: Welcome to the Orchard of England at Regal Cinema, Tenbury Wells

Borderlines Festival:
Known historically as the Orchard of England, Herefordshire is apple country. This film brings together a wide-ranging and eccentric cast of local people – farmers, Travellers, former apple-pickers, clergymen, wassailers, cider makers, fruit sellers – to explore the deep relationship between the people of this area and its historic crop. Part portrait of a fading way of life, part celebration of how a living culture continues to manifest itself, the film raises deep questions about human nature. Expect games, pies, dancing, petty crime, and varieties of apple beyond your most delirious dreams. Prepare to honour the apple.

Note: This film will be shown at the Tenbury AppleFest and Leominster Apple Fair in October.
Look out for MAN members in the film!

 

8th March – Course: Grafting Course at Nash Village Hall : Members only

See course details https:/whats-on/courses

 

March:  Purchase of MAN heritage trees: Members only

A unique opportunity to own MAN heritage apple tree(s)

Trees in pots

As you know, Frank Matthews has made a copy of our Paramor orchard tree collection and they grafted and grew two grafts of each tree (for redundancy).

We now have many of the “spare” grafted trees for sale immediately to MAN members; so here’s an opportunity to obtain potted, grafted heritage apple trees.

Bare-root trees

We also have to take trees out at Paramor and Ty Glyn as part of progressive rationalising the holdings at each orchard.

If you are interested in any (bare root trees only) from these two orchards please let us know by the 20th April as they could be available now, otherwise they’ll come out when we have the time.

See full details of all available trees on the Surplus Trees page, including spreadsheet-lists of the trees. Please note – you will need to be a paid-up member to view this page.

 

4-5th April       British Beekeepers Association Spring Convention, Harper Adams

Held at Harper Adams University, near Telford, MAN will have a stand at the two-day show.
Whilst not apple centric, MAN has been attending for several years and we always have a positive presence at this convention.

 

26th April         Paramor Picnic, MAN’s Paramor Orchard, Cwmdu

Paramor Blossom Picnic Day 10am to 4pm

This is the second year of holding the picnic where we open up MAN’s Paramor orchard to both MAN members and members of the public to enjoy a perfect setting for a picnic.

Also on offer are orchard tours (Ainsleigh provides detailed insights into our heritage varieties, plus: folklore walks, storytelling sessions, meeting bee keepers, chatting to wildlife experts and browsing a range of stalls).

Food and drink available to buy.

See the event flyer for more details.

 

4-5th May         Big Apple Blossomtime weekend, Marcle Ridge, Herefordshire

This is an annual special springtime opportunity to enjoy the lovely countryside and orchards of the Marcle Ridge in Herefordshire, where local orchards are famous both for their cider fruit and their dessert and culinary fruit.  This is normally the peak of the blossom season so the trees can look spectacular.

This year Blossomtime has expanded again to four venues which will be open from 10am to 5pm on both days. Click this link for full details.

 

14th July          Pruning Courses at Paramor Orchard. Dates to be confirmed: Members only

Summer pruning days at Paramor Orchard, Cwmdu and at Ty Glyn, Cusop, for a few days likely from about 09:00 to 15:00 or so.

Days to be selected much nearer the time for being dry and pleasant.

Opportunities for you to learn, practice and embed pruning and tree management skills.

Paramor has nearly 300 apple trees on standard and half-standard rootstock that require pruning, for some it establishing the early tree form, others are general maintenance and a few require more restorative work.

The 500 cordons at Ty Glyn also variously need establishing early form, maintaining and rejuvenating spur structure.  Both sites give super ways to learn and practice in small groups with expert guidance.

If interested please contact the secretary at secretary@marcherapple.net or Ainsleigh at chair@marcherapple.net  they’ll let you know much nearer the time preferred dates.

 

23-24 July       Black Mountains Festival, Talgarth, Powys

Details to follow.

 

12 August      Orchard visit – Near Talybont on Usk (Tal-y-bont ar Wysg): Members only

After last year’s successful visits to MAN members orchards, this year we have 2 more orchards to visit.

This visit is based around a sixteenth century mansion, remodelled and expanded in the early nineteenth century in the Regency manner
There is a large collection of ancient apple trees.
 We would meet at 10.30am where we will be shown:
  • The kitchen garden ( c80 varieties with many different forms: codon, U cordon, espalier etc)
  • Two or three neighbouring orchards with mature standards . Including all types, and my Welsh collection.
  •  If time and inclination allow, we can walk up the hill (vertical 250 ft) about 20 mins and see the hillside orchard including the Kazakh wild apple orchard.
The crops this year, like many of our orchards, are monumental so well worth a visit.
Please note this is a mid-week visit.

For further details ((including orchard location and directions), please contact secretary@marcherapple.net  and please Join the Marcher Apple Network!

Sept | Oct        Orchard visit – Date and location to be confirmed: Members only

After last year’s successful visits to MAN members orchards, this year we have 2 more orchards to visit.

We are currently planning these – look out for details shortly.

 

4th Oct Tenbury AppleFest, Tenbury Wells. MAN stand

Each year Tenbury Wells, The Town in the Orchard, celebrates the Mighty Apple with a one day event held on the Town’s Burgage Recreational Area on the first Saturday in October.

This is always a popular event, and MAN has a stand within the Frank P Matthew tent.
Further details: www.tenburyapplefest.co.uk

 

11-12th Oct      The Big Apple, Much Marcle: MAN stand

The Big Apple Association Limited is a Community Benefit Society near Ledbury, Herefordshire. MAN has a stand at this event.

Further details: http://www.bigapple.org.uk/

 

11-12th Oct      FestAfal (Apple Festival), National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne: MAN stand on Sunday only

The National Botanic Garden of Wales hosts an annual Apple Weekend as part of their FestAfal event, celebrating the diverse Welsh apple varieties. This event, showcases the garden’s Welsh Orchard, a National Collection of apple trees. Visitors can expect to see a stunning display of hundreds of apple varieties, sample unusual and rare flavours, and even get their own apples identified by experts. The event also features the sale of apple trees and related products.

 

18th Oct           Leominster Apple Fair, Leominster: MAN stand

Visit the annual apple fair in Leominster where there will be apple displays, apple identification and the opportunity to try and/or buy plenty of different varieties of local apples. Also, as part of the event there will be stalls selling local crafts and cafe with local home-made food and cakes.

MAN has a stand at this event.

 

15th Nov          AGM, Ludlow: Members Only

Our AGM will be held at The Ludlow Mascall Centre, Ludlow, Shropshire, followed, we are thrilled to announce, by a not-to-be-missed session with Liz Copas who will lead an introduction, identification and tasting ‘workshop session’ on the four core types of cider apples, with samples from the West Country, Herefordshire and surrounds.

Liz Copas has been a Cider Pomologist at Long Ashton Research Station and an advisor for the National Association of Cider Makers. Her work has taken her to Herefordshire, Somerset and Dorset, She now works as a consultant for Bristol University’s apples genomics project and is the author of: Cider Apples – The New Pomona and The Lost Orchards: Rediscovering the Forgotten Cider Apple of Dorset (with Nick Poole)

Further details to follow.

 

December       Frank P Matthews Christmas Fair: MAN stand

This is a new event for us
Details to follow.