Celebrations of English Apples and Cider
in the Marcle Ridge Parishes of Herefordshire
Aylton, Little Marcle,
Much Marcle, Munsley, Pixley, Putley and Woolhope
Special events
Sunday 2nd May
9.30am |
A Walk above Putley. 7 miles, steep in places. No dogs please. Return via Aylton where lunch available (separate charge). Donations welcome. Meet Putley Village Hall (HR8 2QN, GR651375) |
11am to 12.30pm |
Orchard Days. A walk with poems celebrating seasonal change at Dragon Orchard. £1.50 (children free). Meet Dragon Orchard, Putley (HR8 2RG, GR653381). |
From 12.30pm |
Family nature trail (£1) available from barn at Court Farm, Aylton or plant stall at Putley Village Hall. Proceeds to Ashperton School Eco Club. |
From 12.30pm |
Ploughman’s lunch in Grade II* cruck barn, including local cheeses and organic apple juice from the farm. £5/£3 (adult/child). Herefordshire Ornithological Club (HOC) display. Proceeds to Aylton Church. At Court Farm, Aylton (HR8 2RQ, GR658376) |
1.45pm to 3.15pm |
Natural history of orchards – a guided walk to discover local wildlife with Bob Hall of Herefordshire Ornithoplogical Club. No dogs please. Donations welcome. Meet Court Farm, Aylton. |
Monday 3rd May
9.30am entries for 10am start |
Big Apple Run The race begins at Putley Village Hall and is approximately three miles taking a route through the apple orchards of Putley and including a steep climb to the top of a wood overlooking the village. The event is supported by Weston's cider who have generously donated prizes. Entry £5 for adults and £3 for under 18's and students. Bacon rolls and drinks available. Proceeds to Putley Village Hall. (HR8 2QN, GR651375) |
11am to 12.30pm |
Orchard Days. A walk with poems celebrating seasonal change at Dragon Orchard. £1.50 (children free). Meet Dragon Orchard, Putley (HR8 2RG, GR653381). |
From 11.30am |
Family nature trail (£1) available from barn at Court Farm, Aylton or plant stall at Putley Village Hall. Proceeds to Ashperton School Eco Club. |
From 12 noon |
Delicious lunches, proceeds to Village Hall. At Putley Village Hall |
3pm |
Leominster Morris will dance at Putley Village Hall |
4pm |
The search for ‘Ten Commandments’ - a short talk by Mike Porter of Marcher Apple Network (MAN) to launch a new Pomona illustrating 31 previously undescribed apple varieties from the border counties of England and Wales. £3 (free to MAN members). At Court Farm, Aylton (HR8 2RQ, GR658376) There's a webpage at www.marcherapple.net/wmp.htm |
Blossomtime - May 2nd - 3rd 2010. Our 22nd year!
GRAND CIDER TASTING AND TEAS - Putley Village Hall, HR8 2QN
Sunday 2nd May: 2pm to 6pm
Monday 3rd 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 doorApple teas served in the village hall.
Paul Hand of ‘Bees and Trees’ with fruity activities.
Cider and Perry Sales
Some of the cider and perry makers will have stalls with their prize-winning products on sale. In Putley Village Hall.
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.
Website: http://www.westons-cider.co.uk
(*charge applies)
Local Farm Shops selling Local Cider, Perry & Apple Juice
Roots at Little Verzons, HR8 2PZ. Coffee shop, farm shop and plants, 10am - 4pm
Dragon Orchard, HR8 2RG, Shop Open - Cider, perry & apple juice tastings and sales. 10am - 3pm
Local Information:
Pixley and District Website
The Cider Route
Visit Ledbury
Pubs
Nearby pub: Trumpet Inn
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.
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 check out the following websites:
Much Marcle:
http://muchmarcle.net/accommodation/
Ledbury:
http://ledburybedandbreakfast.info/bb-ledbury-villages/
http://ledburybedandbreakfast.info/
http://www.royalforestofdean.info/accommodation/ledbury.shtml
Look on the Campsites page for detail of local camping and caravan sites.
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).
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