Apple Day 2008

21st October is an annual celebration of apples, orchards and local distinctiveness, started by Common Ground in 1990.

Apple Days around the UK offer the chance to taste local apples. October is also Cider & Perry Month, and with a range of producers attending many events there are plenty of opportunities to eat and drink the best local produce, from apples and cider to chutneys and cheese. You can watch cookery demonstrations and have a go at juice or cider pressing.

There's fun for all the family with longest peel competitions, apple bobbing and entertainment including morris and clog dancing, Punch & Judy and many kinds of music.

Orchards are opening up so you can take a tour, discover the history and stories behind local fruit varieties, go wassailing or learn about the Green Man. Meet apple experts, find out how to prune correctly or buy a fruit tree for your garden.

If you've inherited an apple tree but don't know what variety it is, many Apple Days offer apple identification, and we've listed these events below. Please take three examples of each variety, with twig and leaves attached if possible, to aid identification.

Apple Days - October 2008

Scotland

18th - 26th Carse of Gowrie Orchard Festival.

18th - 19th Glendoick Apple Weekend, Glendoick Garden Centre. 11am-4pm.

25th - 26th Family Fruit Weekend, Elcho Castle Rhind, by Perth.

26th Culzean Castle & Country Park Store Barn and Visitor Centre, Maybole KA19 8LE. 2pm-4pm.

19th Harestanes Visitor Centre, Jedburgh, off the A68, near Ancrum, between St Boswells and the turn off for Hawick. 11am-3pm.

North England

12th Acorn Bank Garden and Watermill (National Trust) Temple Sowerby, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 1SP. 11am-4.30pm.

12th Millenium Orchard, Beverley Parks, Long Lane, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire. 11am-3pm.

18th St Mary's Church of England Primary School, The Green, Eccleston, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 5TE, in the centre of the village next to the Methodist church.

24th Reeth Community Orchard, The Green, Reeth, Richmond, North Yorkshire. 11am-3pm.

25th All Saints Church, Main Street, Preston, Hull HU12 8UD. 10am-4pm.

Wales

11th Scolton Manor, Spittal, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire SA62 5QL. 10am-4pm.

11th - 12th Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth SY20 9AZ. 11am-4pm.

Midlands

12th Calke Abbey, Ticknall, Derby, Derbyshire DE73 7LE, within the National Trust walled garden. 11am-4pm.

11th - 12th Sulgrave Manor, Manor Road, Sulgrave, near Banbury OX17 2SD. 11am-4pm.

11th - 12th The Big Apple, parishes along the Marcle Ridge near Much Marcle.

18th Tenbury Wells Applefest. 10am-4pm. 25th is the Tenbury Wells Beer & Cider Festival.

18th - 19th The National Trust, Snowshill Manor, Snowshill, Broadway, Worcestershire WR12 7JY. 11am-5.30pm.

25th - 26th Flavours of Herefordshire Food Festival, Hereford Race Course.

26th Lowdham Village Hall, Lowdham, 8 miles north of Nottingham. Event runs from 12 noon.

East Anglia

12th Banham Barrel, Kenninghall.

18th - 19th The Summerhouse, Bridge Farm Barns, Monks Eleigh IP7 7AY. Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-5pm.

26th Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse, Gressenhall, Dereham, NR20 4DR.

26th The farmyard at Foxburrow Farm, Saddlemakers Lane, Melton, Woodbridge, Suffolk 1P12 1NA. 1pm-4pm.

South East England

11th - 12th West Dean Gardens, West Dean, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0Q2.

15th October - 2nd November Tring's Own Apple Fayre. 19th is an open day at Jeacock's Orchard, Dunsley Bungalow.

19th Bromham Water Mill and Gallery, Bromham, 3 miles west of Bedford signposted off the A428 Bedford-Northampton Road. 11am-4.30 pm.

19th Collings Hanger Farm, Prestwood, Great Missenden, Bucks HP16 0HP. The organic farm is situated on the A4128, just north of High Wycombe. 2-4pm.

South West England

11th Bere Apple Fest, The Church Hall, Bere Ferrers on the Bere Peninsula betwen the Tamar & Tavy Rivers, Devon. 1.30pm-5pm.

17th Downton Country Market, Memorial Hall, The Borough, Downton, near Salisbury. 9.45am-11am.

18th Burton's Orchard, Shillingstone. 1pm-4pm.

18th - 19th Eggesford Gardens, Eggesford, Chulmleigh EX18 7QU. 11am-4pm.

25th Charlton Orchards, Creech St Michael, Taunton Somerset TA3 5PF. 10am-5pm.

Web Links

There are many more events around the UK - you can find further information and contact details at: www.commonground.org.uk/appleday

What's Your View?

Are you celebrating Apple Day? Do you grow your own apples? Is it important to preserve local varieties? You can share your thoughts by leaving a comment below or visiting the 50connect forum.

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