Orchards, Trees & Orchard Produce

Sussex information

Where to Get Help

Chichester District Council, Emma Livett, East Pallant House, 1 East Pallant, Chichester, PO19 1TY (+44(0)1243 785166) help to fund the establishment of Community Orchards with local varieties of fruit. See their web-site for more information.

Anne Bellis, Stanmer Orchard Group, c/o MIND, 79 Buckingham Road, Brighton BN1 3RJ.

Orchards and Community Orchards to visit

Batemans, Burwash, Etchingham, East Sussex TN19 7DS (+44(0)1435 882302). This National Trust property was the home of Rudyard Kipling, and has a wonderful pear alley (pears trained in a long arch) which was designed by him.

John Batchelor makes traditional cider from cider apples grown in his own orchard. Each batch has different characteristics, made form the varieties that ripen at the time. The Orchard, Park Lane, Maplehurst, +44(0)403 891352. Sold in the White Horse in Maplehurst.

Hidden Spring Vineyard and Organic Orchard, Vines Cross Road, Horam TN21 0HG. Produce wines including apple wine, plus a Dry Cider from their own apples, and honey from the orchard, and offer 11 apple varieties and 3 pear, sold from their Farm Shop. Contact Sue Mosey, Tel/fax +44(0)1435 812640.

Lurgashall Winery, Windfallwood, Lurgashall, Nr Petworth GU28 9HA, +44(0)1428 707292. Jim Inkster. Tarditional country wines, meads and liqueurs made in a 17th century barn. The walnut liqueur made from marinated walnuts sounds particularly enticing.

West Dean Gardens, West Dean, Chichester PO18 OQZ. Call +44(0)1243 818210 or look at their web-site. Among the 35 acres of gardens that run beside the River Lavant is a beautifully restored walled kitchen garden with a large collection of fruit trees, including 100 varieties of apple, 45 of pear, and 25 of plum, many of which are trained along the walls. They hold a very popular Apple Day. Contact Jim Buckland,Gardens Manager.

Where to buy apples and orchard produce

Battle Cider, 3 Bedford Road, Hastings TN35 5JS. Call Andrew Etherton on +44(0)1424 429588, or look at their web-site. The cider is made from organic apples.

Appledram Farm Products, Pump Bottom Farm, Birdham Road, Chichester PO20 7EH (+44(0)1243 773828). Julian Moores makes Appledram ciders, perry and apple juice which can be tasted at the licenced Dram O' Apples Cider House on the farm. They have a new restaurant in the Cider House known as "Kenancook" run by New Zealand chef Ken Brown and his wife Annabelle. Ken is committed to using as much locally produced food as possible and is gaining an excellent reputation for his exciting recipes. For booking call +44(0)1243 537937.

Gospel Green, Gospel Green Cottage, Haslemere GU27 3BH (+44(0)1428 654120). James Lane makes award-winning, bottle - fermented cider which has a champagne quality. He also makes great cheese!

Kent & Sussex Apple Juice and Cider Centre, Perryhill Orchard, Edenbridge Road, Hartfield (+44(0)1892 770595). PYO and farm shop which has a large range of apple juice and some ciders.

Laurel Tree Fruit Farms, Boar's Head, Crowborough TN6 3HD (+44(0)1892 661637) sell a wide range of varieties, including the Cherry Cox which originated at the farm, available direct, also gift and Christmas boxes available to order.

Lurgashall Winery, Lurgashall produce a large range of country wines and liqueurs including apple wine and plum wine from fruit sourced in the South of England and locally where possible, sloe gin liqueur, walnut liqueur, elderberry wine, and elderberry port reserve. Also silver birch wine with sap taken from their own trees. Lurgashall products are sold across the country (contact them for stockists) and on-line as well as from the Winery Shop which is open 9am-5pm Monday-Saturday and 11am-5pm Sunday. Contact +44(0) 1428 707292, sales[at]lurgashall.co.uk or see www.lurgashall.co.uk

Mayfield Cider, Pennybridge Farm, Mayfield TN20 6QB (+44(0)1435 873173). Martin Clarke. Organic cider crushed by a stone mill.

Maynards, Windmill Hill, Ticehurst, nr. Wadhurst, East Sussex TN5 7HQ; phone +44(0)1580 200394. Open daily. Cobnuts - PYO, ready-picked and mail order.

Merrydown, Horam Manor, Heathfield TN21 OJA Tel: +44(0)1435 812254 which produces Merrydown cider, using around 30% apples from the South East. See their web-site for company history. Both Barrels sells Sussex fruit wines and meads from a retail shop at The Manor Cellars on the Merrydown forecourt. Tel +44(0)1435 812257.

Middle Farm, Firle, Lewes BN8 6LJ (+44(0)1323 811324). Rod & Helen Marsh. According to CAMRA this "quite simply the world's largest permanent collection of cider and perry." You can taste many of these ciders and perrys before buying them. There is also fresh apple juice from Kent and Sussex and their own brand ­ Pookhill Cider. Plus locally grown apples for sale in the Farm Shop in season. On Apple Day they invite people to bring along their own apples to be pressed in amongst all the other celebrations. See their website

Oakwood Farm, Robertsbridge TN25 5BL (+44(0)1580 830893) grow and sell organic apples, and 6 single varieties of organic apple juice.

Ringden Farm, London Road, Hurst Green, Etchingham TN19 7QY (+44(0)1580 879385) sell a wide variety of apples and 22 varieties of apple juice.

Sedlescombe Cider, Sedlescombe Vineyard, Cripp's Corner, Sedlescombe, Nr Robertsbridge TN32 5SA (+44(0)1580 830715). Organic wines, ciders and fruit juices sold from the farm shop.

The Sussex Wine Company sells fruit wines including Lurgashall Elderberry Wine on their web-site

Tullens Fruit Farm, Tullens Pickhurst Lane, Pulborough, RH20 1DA (just off the A29). Tel: +44 (0)1798 873800, sales[at]tullens.co.uk or see their website. Tullens Fruit Farm was established in the 1950s, and in 2002 its new owners planted additional old varieties of apple. At present the varieties available are Cox's Orange Pippin, Worcester Pearmain, Bramley, Egremont Russet, Red Pippen, Lord Lambourne, James, Grieve, Discovery, plus Comice and Conference pears. The new trees of Blemheim Orange, Laxtons Superb and others will be cropping from around 2007. Also apple juice in five single varieties. All available from the Farm Shop open 10am-4.30pm, September - January.

Local food information from Made in the High Weald, High Weald AONB Unit, Corner Farm, Hastings Road, Flimwell TN5 7PR (+44(0)1580 879500).

Local food information from A Taste of the South East, Lodge Cottage, Brinsbury College, North Heath, Pulborough RH20 1DL (+44(0)1798 874250).