Thomas Rivers of Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire was one of the country's leading nurseyman and plant breeders. He and his family after him bred some of the finest top fruit from the 1820s such as Early Rivers, Czar, Golden and Late Transparent gages, cooking plums: Monarch, President and Conference pear. The nursery was run by the Rivers family for 250 years until its close in 1985. Much of the land was bought for the construction of the Thomas Rivers Medical Centre, a private hospital, and a number of retirement homes. The remaining orchard of apples, plums and cherries has been patiently restored by the Friends of Rivers Orchard who are keen that patients or residents should enjoy walking and lingering among the trees, where cowslips and orchids grow. Benches have been provided. The seasonal calendar includes Apple Day, wassailing and spring-time dawn chorus walks followed by breakfast in the orchard. Read more.

Hertfordshire Orchard Initiative with the Hertfordshire Biological Records Centre is holding a survey of existing traditional orchards in the county and is helping their conservation, the result of which are still to be fully analysed. They have produced a pack the history, conservation and management of Hertfordshire orchards, along with information sheets. Read more.

"Discrete orchards have been divided and enclosed within new gardens following increased residential development. Consequently the importance of resident recognising such features in their gardens cannot be over emphasised; their conservation could be even more threatened in such circumstances if they are not seen as valuable contributions to gardens.

Although always rather small, orchards were a commonplace and widespread feature of both rural and urban areas alike, an integral if somewhat peripheral part of mainstream agriculture. However, they are still continuing to be lost, are becoming smaller and more fragmented, and generally now contain relatively few surviving trees. Nevertheless, despite this declining resource we now know that there are still a large number of surviving sites of one form or another across the county. These support collections of old fruit trees, which even though few in number, can still produce many hundreds of pounds of fruit in a good year. Given our understanding of what has happened and what remains, the challenge must be to conserve the best examples and encourage management and new planting so that future generations can experience the fruits of a living heritage"
From The History of Hertfordshire's Orchards

Apple Day Events
Where to Get Help
Orchards and Community Orchards to visit
Where to buy apples and orchard produce
Where to buy fruit trees
Some Hertfordshire Fruit