Orchards, Trees & Orchard ProduceCornwall information
Orchards, Trees & Orchard Produce
Cornwall information
Cornwall County Council Orchard Group has been supporting the establishment of traditional orchards with local varieties since 1990, and commissioned the growing of 40 old varieties traditionally grown in Cornwall. They are looking into linking orchards with the local supply chain. Contact the Cornwall Orchard Project, Colin Hawke, Planning Directorate, Cornwall County Council, County Hall, Truro TRl 3AY +44(0)1872 322642, or look at their web-site.
The Tamar Valley Orchard Volunteers give free advice to orchard owners and charge a minimal fee for pruning, grafting and other specialist practical tasks. Contact Sheila Camplin on +44(0)1579 370411 for details.
Orchards and Community Orchards to visit
Trelissick Gardens (National Trust) has a large orchard stocked with Cornish varieties - nearly 100, plus quince and medlar under planted with Cornish daffodils. Feock, Nr Truro TR3 6QL +44(0)1872 862090). Gardens open March - 1 Nov. Apple Day held every year.
Cotehele House & Gardens (National Trust), St Dominick, Nr Saltash PLl2 6TA +44(0)1579 351346. David Bouch, Head Gardener. 100 local varieties, mainly apples, with Tamar valley cherries, pears, walnuts, plums and medlars. A new mother orchard of Cornish and Devon apples is being planted from 2006. In 2005 A lone tree of Cotehele Beauty apple with just a section left alive was grafted by Shane Kneebone of Cornish Apple Trees and trees propagated and returned to the orchard. Gardens open every day throughout the year. House open from March 23. Apple Day every year.
Tresillian House Garden, near Newquay, +44(0)1637 877447, is the earliest landscaped garden in Cornwall. The gardens include orchards and a restored Walled Garden with cordons of historic varieties of apples, peaches, cherries and pears, and espaliers of young and very old apples and pears. The Head Gardener, John Harris grows 12 varieties of plum including 6 Cornish varieties including the Kea Plum, and there is a collection of 70+ varieties of Cornish apples, grafted on original root stock pre 1800, plus medlars and quince were planted during the winter of 1993/4.
Millbrook School Orchard was planted in 1999 with trees grafted from old trees within the village. It is cared for by the pupils and teacher Deb Hoskin with advice from local enthusiasts, and is used as an outdoor classroom and for Apple Day celebrations. Contact: Millbrook School, Insworke Close, Millbrook, PL10 1PT, 01752 823012.
Cornish Cyder Farm, Penhallow, Truro TR4 9LW, +44(0)1872 573356. Museum, tours of the orchard, cider making and distillery. See their web-site.
Probus Gardens, RHS includes a small orchard which specialises in ways in which fruit trees can be pruned - cordons, espaliers and bush trees. Pruning demonstrations are held in the autumn and spring. Probus, nr Truro, Cornwall TR2 4HQ, +44(0)1726 882597.
Chyan Community Field, Jobswater, Halvasso, Penryn. A two-acre forest garden managed by the local community and volunteers. It includes an orchard of apple, plum, damson, greengage, cherry, pear, quince, medlar and mulberry. The orchard is surrounded by fruit trees grown from pips and stones which will be trained into a hedge and used for grafting. Below the trees the grass has been seeded with wildflowers. There is also soft fruit, sculptures including a cob serpent and willow caterpillar, a sensory garden, pond and a straw and cob community tea hut and tool store. There are community work days twice a month. Contact: Sim or Jane, Chyan Community Field, Jobswater, Halvasso, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9BT, +44(0)1326 340406
Where to buy apples and orchard produce
Apple Blossom Cider, The Cornish Cider Company, Trevean Farm, Coombe Lea, nr Truro. John Watt +44(0)1872 77177. Look out for it in the local shops. It isn't sold from the premises.
Cornish Orchards, Westnorth Manor Farm, Duloe, Liskeard PL14 4PW +44(0)1503 263373. For juice and cider, including Veryan Cyder.
Haye Farm Cider, Haye Farm, St Veep, Lostwithiel PL22 0PB +44(0)1208 872250.
Helford Creek Apple Juice, Helford Creek, Helston, +44(0)1326 231341, produced on the Lizard Peninsula and sold locally in shops. Also make cyder. See their website
Trelissick, Feock, Nr Truro TR3 6QL +44(0)1872 862090). The National Trust Garden shop sells Kea plum jam and wine when in season.
Cotehele House & Gardens (National Trust), St Dominick, Nr Saltash PLl2 6TA +44(0)1579 351346 produce Cotehele Orchard Apple Juice from their own orchards, including a mother orchard of Cornish varieties. Plans are underway for a new ciderhouse to house the historic press in the orchard.
Lizard Wine & Cider Company, The Lizard Cider Barn, Predannack, Helston TRl2 7AU +44(0)1326 241481.
Penpol Farm Cider, Middle Penpol Farm, St Veep, Lostwithiel PL22 0NG +44(0)1208 872017.
St Cecilias Abbey, Ryde, Isle of Wight PO33 1LH. Sell apples locally and wholesale from the extensive orchards within the Abbey Grounds which run down to the sea opposite Portsmouth Harbour. The orchards are tended by nuns and Sister Anselma in particular. 58 apple varieties grow in the orchards and are used in the refectory in many different dishes - in 2007 the community was without apples for only 10 days. Around 25 varieties are grown in sufficient numbers to sell. The orchards are thought ot date from 1905/6. There is also an old pear orchard including a tree of Chaumontel which produces enough fruit to sell. There are also plum, greengage, fig, quince and citrus trees. One particularly good apple, a jewel-like red and yellow eating apple that stores well is yet to be identified (2008) and may be a new variety. Contact: +44(0)1983 562602, abbey[at]stceciliasabbey.org.uk or see www.stceciliasabbey.org.uk
Local food information from the Food From Cornwall web-site.
And from 'Made in Cornwall' from Linda Davies, Trading Standards, Cornwall County Council 01872 323728 or see their web-site.
Kea plum jam
Onion & Apple Pies
Cornish Apple Trees, Perranwell, Truro. Over 50 Cornish varieties of apples, plus Cornish plums. Call +44(0)1872 864409 or see their web-site.
Duchy of Cornwall Nurseries, Penlyne, Cott Road, Lostwithiel PL22 OBW. 20 varieties of mainly Cornish and west country apples as bush and half standard trees, plus pears, plums, cherries, nuts etc. Call +44(0)1208 872668.
James MacFarlane, Trevothen Common, Coverack, Helston TR12 65D. Particularly specialises in Cornish varieties of apples. +44(0)1326 280594
Silvanus, Old National School, St Thomas Hill, Launceston . Sells traditional Cornish and west country fruit varieties of apples. +44(0)1566 772802.
Thornhayes Nursery, St Andrews Wood, Dulford, Cullompton EXlS 2DF. Over 200 varieties of apple including many local types, 70 cider varieties, 30 plum, 30 pear, including perry, Devon specialities md mazzards and Tamar Valley cherries. +44(0)1884 266746 or see their web-site.
