Major apple and pear events 2024
*= Apple display and MAN ID service. Please note that MAN requires at least 5 typical specimens of apples in order to attempt an identification. We charge £5 per variety to members and £10 to non-members.
July-August 2024
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 its 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 ainsleigh_jennifer@btinternet.com; they’ll let you know much nearer the time preferred dates
Sunday 14th July 2024, 10.30 – near Tenbury Wells:
Member-only event. An ancient orchard (some trees over 100 years old) containing apples, pears, damsons and plums. The orchard is in 3 areas, the oldest on a south facing slope, the main productive orchard on a gentle north facing slope and other trees are in an area of wild flower meadow. There are 148 main fruit trees with the orchard, ponds, flower meadow and hedgerows under DEFRA Higher Level Environmental Stewardship. Most trees are of unknown variety so looking to members to help identify the wide range of varieties which are thought to be locally sourced. Stout footwear recommended.
Tea/coffee and cake will be available and visitors are invited to bring a packed lunch to eat in the orchard/garden (or sheltering from the rain!). Hosted by Phil Bustin, if interested please contact MAN at secretary@marcherapple.net
Gloucester Orchard Trust events can be found at: https://glosorchards.org/home/blog/ They are running scything courses at on July 25th and 16th August (location tbc, probably Longney). They are also starting a monthly orchard management workshop at Longney on the 4th Saturday of each month, starting on 22nd June, then 27th July, 24th August, 28th September, etc etc.
They also are in the process of setting up a small project to map and record the state of orchards, comparing existing orchards with the historical record, also comparing them with the orchard database held by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), in conjunction with the Gloucestershire Gardens and Landscape Trust. There is a meeting on 19th June at Longney to introduce participants in how to assess orchards according to the standard PTES survey, then a session at the Gloucestershire Archive on 16th July for participants to learn what archive material is available online. Details will soon be available at Gloucestershire Gardens & Landscape Trust – Home (gglt.org)
Saturday, 14th, September 14:30- 17:00. Perry Pear display and ID at Hartpury Orchard Centre, Hartpury Orchard Centre, Blackwells End, Hartpury, Gloucestershire GL19 3DB.
Friday to Sunday 13th – 15th September. The Ludlow Marches Food and Drink Festival http://www.foodfestival.co.uk/ . There is always a good selection of local cider makers and fruit juicers in attendance.
Saturday and Sunday, 24th – 25th August. Black Mountains Festival, Talgarth, Powys. For further details: TALGARTH FESTIVAL OF THE BLACK MOUNTAINS – Talgarth Festival of the Black Mountains
Sunday 8th September. Frampton-On-Severn Country Fair, www.framptoncountryfair.co.uk
Friday/Saturday/Sunday, 27th-29th September. Autumn Show at Three Counties Showground, Malvern https://www.malvernautumn.co.uk/ .
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28 September to 13 October 2024. Hereford AppleFest is returning for 2024! On Saturday 28 September with a day full of live music, performances, artisan cider, perry and apple juice, children’s activities and more. Two weeks of fringe events follow, taking place all across Herefordshire. From cider tasting, to apple fairs, to art exhibitions, events of every variety are hosted by our wealth of hard-working organisations to provide unique and memorable experiences for visitors.
For further details see Hereford AppleFest – Hereford City Council
*Saturday, 5th October. Applefest, Tenbury Wells, held on the town’s Burgage Recreational Area, from 10:00–17:00, Further details: www.tenburyapplefest.co.uk
October to be confirmed. We expect the National Trust Berrington Hall will again have daily events throughout October 10:00-15:00, but yet to be confirmed. It is near Leominster. We think they will again invite you to join in celebrating our harvest with a full month of traditional apple themed activities. With a children’s trail, apple themed treats in the tea-room, crafts and apple pressing on selected weekends, Berrington has a lot to offer. They may again have traditional horse and carriage rides to get you into the swing of the season. MAN may possibly attend on Sunday 6th and offer an ID service. Events at Berrington Hall (nationaltrust.org.uk)
October to be confirmed: Knucklas Castle Community Land Project apple day.
Saturday/Sunday, 12th – 13th October ‘THE BIG APPLE’. Weekend rural events in and around Much Marcle http://www.bigapple.org.uk/ . £2 entry to historic grounds of Hellens, from 11:00–16:45 where there will be apple and pear displays. Apples for identification can be handed in for later consideration. There is often a wonderful range of cooked apples for tasting. Further details of talks, demonstrations and other events, from Jackie Denman, Tel. 01531–670544.
*Saturday and Sunday 12th – 13th October to be confirmed, National Botanic Garden for Wales, Llanarthne, SA32 8HN, 10:00 – 18:00, Apple Weekend https://botanicgarden.wales/visit/whats-on/.
Sunday 13th October, 2.00pm – near Minsterely
Member-only event. The orchard was started around 2012 and is a mix of culinary and dessert apples, stone fruit, cider apples, cobs/filberts and a few crab apples, mulberries, quince and almond. The primary driver for the orchard creation was to diversify the habitat and to provide fruit and nuts for the owners. Peter is a keen cider maker and a lot of the earlier ripening apples and other fruit are now sold, the proceeds donated to the Friends of Pontesbury Library.
Tea/coffee and cake will be available. Hosted by Alice Fraser and Peter Sheppard, if interested please contact MAN at secretary@marcherapple.net
Probably in October at The Cider Museum Hereford, Pomona Place, Hereford HR4 0EF there will be an Apple Day celebrating cidermaking. There is also an Exhibition: Made out of Orchards, A Tessa Bunney photographic exhibition running from 20th April – 31st December. details to follow Museum of Cider – Hereford (cidermuseum.co.uk)
*Saturday, 19th October. Leominster Apple Fair at The Priory, Leominster. 10:00–16:00. Parking nearby in Bridge Street Car Park. “Various stalls, apple display and ID by MAN”. Details from Felicity Norman, Tel. 01568–780886. https://www.eventgoat.co.uk/leominster/leominster-apple-fair-2019/
Friday 21st October. National Apple Day http://commonground.org.uk/projects/orchards/apple-day/
Saturday 14th or 21st November (to be confirmed) MAN AGM at 11:00 likely either at The Cider Museum Hereford, Pomona Place, Hereford HR4 0EF or in Ludlow, details to follow.
