Orchards, Trees & Orchard ProduceShropshire information
Orchards, Trees & Orchard Produce
Shropshire information
The Shropshire Apple Trust, hold an Apple Day celebration at the Green Wood Trust, Coalbrookdale. Set up in 1999 to promote apple culture in all its ramifications within the county, they have built a traditional twin-screw cider press using green oak and salvage metalwork and a salvage scratting mill. These are used at 
Apple Days where people are encouraged to juice their surplus apples, but are also available (on a large trailer) for other groups who would like to use them themselves. They have a web-site. You can buy 'Real Cidermaking on a Small Scale' by Michael Pooley and John Loxa. Contact Michael Pooley, +44(0)1952 433229.
The Marcher Apple Network is reviving interest in local apple varieties in the English and Welsh Marches. Contact them for advice on local varieties, and details of forthcoming events and courses. Call Mrs Sheila Leitch +44(0)1497 847354 or see their web-site.
The Green Wood Trust hold one day courses in cider making (there is one on October 5 2002), and in grafting. Contact +44(0)1952 432769 or look at their web-site.
Bees & Trees promote orchards and old varieties of apples and other fruits; conserve native honey bees and the use of traditional straw skep hives and are developing a positive relationship between people and the natural world. Bees and Trees are working on a project called Tettenhall Dick, the Black Country name for any perry pear; they have grafted 2000 new trees to plant across the midlands. Contact Paul Hand +44(0)1547 540374 for talks on bees, fruit trees, educational days at schools &c.
Tom Adams, Lower Barn, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry +44(0)1691 777512 offers pruning, propagation and renovation, courses, and some apple varieties for sale.
Orchards and Community Orchards to visit
Large specimen pear and cordon pear trees can be seen at the centre of the Dower House Garden, Norville Hall, near Bridgnorth. Contact Katherine Swift +44(0)1746 714407. The National Trust garden is open on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons between the beginning of April and the end of September.
Attingham Park, Shrewsbury SY4 4TP, a National Trust property, has an orchard and will be celebrating Apple Day on October 12-13. +44(0)1743 708162 see www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Acton Scott Historic Working Farm, Wenlock Lodge, Acton Scott, SY6 6QN holds a cider making weekend on October 19/20. The County Museum Service has more information +44(0)1694 781306.
Madeley Community Orchard, Bartlett Gardens, Mill Lane, off Station Road, Madeley, Telford TF7. An orchard of sixty half standard mixed fruit trees planted in 2005 by members of the community on disused allotments and a grazing field surrounded by housing, a churchyard and road and spoil heaps from mining now grown-over with grass and trees. The land is owned by Madeley United Charity and intended to be used for the benefit of the poor of the parish. In 2002 the Charity approached Madeley Parish Council to see if the land could be put to better use for the community. The idea of Community Orchard fulfilled their remit and would help to promote healthy eating. The Community Orchard Steering Group raised £23,000 and began work. The orchard is contracted to the Parish Council for 10 years but the day to day running is the responsibility of the Orchard Management Committee. There are cider, cooking and eating apples included locally propagated Shropshire Ladys Finger, perry and cooking pears, cherries, plums, damsons, Quince, medlar and nuts have been planted. The fruit is collected and used at Madeley Green Day, a celebration of Madeley’s green spaces. In time it is hoped the orchard will supply fruit to a local café. There is also a pottager garden created by the Girl Guides and sensory garden. The orchard is managed using organic principles. Log piles are left for wild life, there are areas of wildflowers, and some areas of grass are treated as meadow, cut annually and baled. Volunteers in the Green Gym Project planted a wild life hedge along the top boundary. There are weekly action days in the growing season for tending the orchard, pruning days, A Blossom Day with tours of the orchard, workshops and bug hunts, plus Community Picnics with outdoor games. Ornate wrought iron gates were commissioned for the orchard’s entrance. A low wall around the sensory garden which is covered in mosaic was designed and partly made by local school children. An existing brick storehouse in the orchard was painted with a mural of a plan of the orchard and the names of all the varieties, by a local artist. Access is limited to 10am-3pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday from November to March. And 10am-5.30pm Tuesday Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from April to October. Contact: Glenys Evans, Cartrefle, Bwlch-i-cibau, Llanfyllin, Powys SY22 5LN, +44(0)1691 649096, primulaveris[at]btinternet.com
Ruyton Community Orchard, Ruyton, Shrewsbury. This old orchard, adjacent to the vicarage, containing mature apple and damson trees was threatened by development from the Diocese of Lichfield who own the land. However, villagers with the help of the local vicar campaigned to save the orchard as a village resource, and the Borough Council asked for an archaeological survey to be carried out as the orchard stands within the old inner bailey of the village. Villagers were able to demonstrate how important the orchard is to the village by organising workdays to clear encroaching brambles, nettles, etc, holding picnics and a bonfire party on November 5th. The original planning application was withdrawn mainly due to the problem of access for housing, but future applications may be made. The orchard is in the vicarage garden and is only open for church events.
Woodside, Coalbrookdale Orchard, from Coke Hearth, Coalbrookdale, 200m along Ginny Rails, on left hand side. An orchard of 3-4 hectares planted in 2000 on derelict land that was formerly the gardens of a row of railway workers cottages that have long since been demolished. The gardens already had one apple tree, variety unknown, and some damson trees and 23 more apple trees were planted including the Shropshire apple King of the Pippins, two pears, cobnuts and a Shropshire Prune damson. Rootstocks vary from standard to dwarf. The orchard was established by the Severn Gorge Countryside Trust who have the land on a 999 year lease, with the Shropshire Apple Trust and members of the local community. Hedges have been re-layed and re-planted with native hazel and bird cherry. An area of meadow has been sown with wildflowers. An adjacent industrial pool dating from the late seventeenth century is rich in wild life. The fruit has so far been left for wild life but as the crop is increasing the apple will be pressed and the juice sold at the annual Apple Day, and perhaps some kept for cider. There is full access. Contact: Shropshire Apple Trust, 41 Churchill, Ironbridge TF8 9PZ, 07952 433632, michaelpooley99[at]hotmail.com, www.shropshireapple.co.uk OR Severn Gorge Countryside Trust, Wesley Rooms Annexe, Jockey Bank, Ironbridge TF8 7PD, +44(0)1952 433880, staff[at]severngorge.org.uk, www.severngorge.org.uk
Where to buy apples and orchard produce
Augernik Fruit Farm, Hopton Wafers, nr. Cleobury Mortimer; phone +44(0)1584 890429. PYO and ready picked cobuts; open daylight hours.
Brooklyn Farm Cider, The Swan Inn, Aston Munslow, Craven Arms SY7 9ER, +44(0)1584 841415.
The Cider House at Wootton Green, Quatt is a pub which sells 13 draught and bottled ciders and no beer, +44(0)1746 780285.
Fernihough's Cider, Ashdown, Worcester Road, Boraston, Tenbury Wells WR15 8LL, +44(0)1584 819632.
Honeysuckle Wholefoods, 53 Church Street, Oswestry sell between 20 and 30 varieties of apple across the season, all organic, as well as organic fruit, vegetables, honey, bread and more.
Mahorall Farm Cider, Nash, Ludlow SY8 3AH. Mahorall Farm Ciders are made using apples grown in own orchard and other local Shropshire orchards, hand pressed using a single screw cider press which is over 160 years old. Wild yeasts help to produce different tasting ciders depending on the season, type of yeast and apple varieties. Sold direct from the farm to both trade and public, through local outlets. Call +44(0)1584 890296 or see their web-site.
Ludlow 21 Food and Farming Group run a farmers' market and local food labelling scheme. Look at their web-site for more information.
Local foods information from Heart of England Fine Foods - call +44(0)1746 785185 or look at their web-site.
Contact Paul Hand at Bees & Trees +44(0)1547 540374 for fruit trees and advice.
