Celebrations of English Apples and Cider
in the Marcle Ridge Parishes of Herefordshire
Aylton, Little Marcle,
Much Marcle, Munsley, Pixley, Putley and Woolhope
Blossomtime - May 3rd and 4th 2009
GRAND CIDER TASTING AND TEAS - Putley Village Hall, HR8 2QN (see map)
Sunday 3rd May: 2pm to 6pm
Monday 4th May: 12noon to 5pm
Each May The Big Apple runs a competition for the craft cider and perry makers of the region (and beyond) to compete for the title of Cider Maker of the Year and Perry Maker of the Year. On the Sunday and Monday the public will be able to taste the entries and judge for themselves.
Cider, perry and apple juice tasting. £1.50 for 6 tokens on door
Apple teas served in the village hall.
Paul Hand of ‘Bees and Trees’ with fruity activities.
Cider and Perry Sales
Some of the makers had stalls with their prize-winning products on sale. These include:
Gregg's Pit Cider and Perry
Gwatkin's Cider
Jus - single variety apple juice
Munsley Cider
Newton's Cider and Perry
Oliver's Cider and Perry
Once Upon a Tree
Ross on Wye Cider and Perry
(Web links included where we know them - if you are a maker listed above and have a website that we don't link to, please let us know.)
Walk across the orchards to Aylton to visit the newly restored Manorial Barn (pictured below) and Aylton Church.
Further afield
Westons Cider, Much Marcle, HR8 2NQ
Open all weekend, 10am to 4pm. Guided mill tours* at 11am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm. Cider and Gift Shop, Dray Rides* (please check availability ), Traditional and Rare Breeds Farm Park*, Self-guided Orchard Walk*, Bottle Museum Tea Room, Courtyard Garden. (*charge applies)
Lyne Down Cider, Much Marcle, HR8 2NT
Open open for tastings and general enquiries about Lyne Down Cider on Sunday 3rd and Monday 4th May between 1.00 and 3.30 pm.
Special events: Sunday 3rd May
9.30am A Walk above Putley 7miles, steep in places. No dogs please. Return via Aylton where lunch will be available (separate charge). Donations welcome. Meet Putley Village Hall (GR651375).
11am A talk by Gabe Cook, sharing the findings of a biodiversity survey of Putley. At Dragon Orchard, Putley (HR8 2RG, GR653381)
11.30am to 1pm Guided walk through the orchards and fields of Putley. Meet Putley Village Hall. Charge: £1.50 adult, children free.
From 12.30pm Ploughman’s lunch in the newly restored Grade II* listed cruck barn at Court Farm (pictured right), Aylton including local cheeses from Charles Martell and organic apple juice from the farm £5/£3 (adult/child). Proceeds to Aylton Church. (HR8 2RQ, GR658376)
From 12.30pm Look out for Geoff Newman, Land Management and Conservation Adviser from Natural England. Geoff will be in the barn at Court Farm, Aylton with information about the Entry and Higher Level Stewardship Schemes in orchards. (HR8 2RQ, GR658376)
From 2pm Family nature trail (£1 a sheet) available from plant stall at Putley Village Hall. Proceeds to Ashperton School/Eco Club.
Special events Monday 4th May
10.30am to 12 noon Guided walk through the orchards and fields of Putley. Meet Putley Village Hall. Charge: £1.50 adult, children free.
11am A talk by bee keeper Roger Houldey. What’s fruit without bees? £2.50 (Proceeds to Newent Beekeepers Association). At Dragon Orchard, Putley (HR8 2RG, GR653381)
From 12 noon Delicious lunches will be available at Putley Village Hall. Proceeds to Village Hall.
3pm Leominster Morris will dance at Putley Village Hall.
Local Information:
Pixley and District Website
The Cider Route
Visit Ledbury
Pubs
Nearby pubs: Trumpet Inn, Hopton Arms
Woolhope: Butchers Arms, Crown Inn
Much Marcle: Royal Oak, Scrumpy House, Slip Tavern, Walwyn Arms
Other attractions
As well as the the Big Apple events you can come simply to enjoy this wonderful stretch of countryside. Fields, orchards and woodland create a living farming patchwork. The slopes of the Marcle Ridge offer splendid views across to the Malvern Hills to the East and to the West, Woolhope is within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
We will have leaflets available for self-guided walks - why not go for a self-guided walk through the orchards - details can be found on the Wildlife Trust website at
http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/hereford/downloads/Putley Loop Walk.pdf
How to Find Us
Putley lies South of the A417 Ledbury to Hereford road. If you have Satellite Navigation, the post code of the village hall is HR8 2QN and there is a map below.
A key point is the Trumpet crossroads, where the A417, A4172 and A438 meet, with its garage and inn. We are just 15 minutes from the M50 motorway, 2.5 hours from London and 1.25 hours from South Wales and the West Midlands. For details of accommodation in the area phone Ledbury Tourist Information Centre tel 01531 636147 or visit www.visitledbury.co.uk.
If you wish to come by public transport, Transport Direct can work out a route for you - just enter your details in the form on the right. Ledbury has a railway station served by London Midland and First Great Western.
Using SatNav?
Postcodes are provided for the main locations but please be aware that rural postcode areas can be quite large and you could be taken to a point some distance from the actual event - look out for the signs on the roadside.
The Google map below accurately indicates the venue locations. (Use the control buttons top left to zoom in and move around).
View Larger Map