Apple Day
Apple Day 2012
This year's Chorleywood Apple Day will take place on the first Saturday in October, i.e. the 6th October 2012, from 11am to 3pm in the Community Orchard. Lots of fun activities for the whole family, as well as local apples, juice, preserves, cakes etc. for sale. Entry is free.
Apple Day 2011
On Saturday October 1st we had our third Apple Day and what a day it was! The sun shone and the crowds came! It was definitely a brilliant day out for all the family and everyone had a lovely time.
Marquees adorned with bunting stood in the Orchard waiting for folk to arrive and arrive they did! We think that up to 500 hundred came to Apple Day this year and there was lots to entertain them. As last year we had the apple peeling machine which the children (and adults!) love. Always a challenge to see who can make the longest peel.
Then the crushing of the apples to make juice is always a hit. Queues ‘round the block’ formed for people who wanted their apples identified and children waited patiently to have their faces painted. To satisfy every sort of hunger and thirst there was a barbecue serving delicious pork and apple sausages and a stall serving biscuits, cakes and preserves. The toffee apples proved to be a hit and sold out in no time, as did the Apple Juice. A stall all about bee keeping was a lovely new addition to the day.
It was so lovely to see families come to Apple Day and sit amongst the trees with a picnic – truly a community orchard for all to enjoy!
Further pictures from this years Apple Day can be seen by following the
link here
Past Years
Last year well over 150 visitors of all ages enjoyed the second Chorleywood Apple Day which took place on Saturday 2nd October 2010 in glorious
autumn sunshine in Chorleywood House Estate.
- The Orchard’s very first apple, a Hertfordshire variety called Lane’s Prince Albert, was presented to its tree sponsor Christopher Wrigley
by Alison Rubens, Chair of the Orchard, to much acclaim.
- Many people brought their own apples to fill the Orchard’s traditional apple crusher and press and all present enjoyed the taste of
the freshly produced juice.
Younger children particularly enjoyed turning the handle and watching the juice flow out.
- At the Apple Peeling Challenge, there was a very competitive spirit, with several contestants, young and old alike, producing
extraordinarily long, narrow and unbroken lengths of peel to claim a lollipop prize.
- A stunning display of many varieties of apples was on show, either grown locally or drawn from the National Fruit Collection, with
names such as Bushey Grove, Tom Putt, Barnack Beauty and Queen. National fruit expert and author Michael Clark successfully
helped to identify mystery apples grown in visitors’ gardens. This proved to be very popular and no variety proved beyond his skill to name.
- The whole day was a classic example of the community working together. Tree sponsors and local volunteers, who have already
planted 48 young trees, will be planting another 80 over the coming winter to complete the third planting phase. Eventually the
Orchard will contain over 130 fruit trees, including plums, cherries, damsons and crab apples in addition to over 50 unusual
varieties of apple. Three Rivers District Council funded the hard-working apple press, while tents loaned by the Chorleywood
Scouts and Chorleywood Primary School’s PTA provided shelter. Visitors were also able to walk over to the Orchard to view two
splendid new benches purchased with a grant from Hertfordshire County Council.
