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Harvestime 2011 - October 8th and 9th
For an afternoon, a day or a full weekend – the Big Apple Harvestime Event is a special opportunity to enjoy the autumn countryside in the Herefordshire parishes on the Marcle Ridge. The local orchards are famous for their cider fruit and their excellent eating apples.
Now in our twenty-third year, the award-winning communities of these tiny parishes have put together a collection of small rural events based in and around Much Marcle to enable you to share with us in our tradition of apple growing and cidermaking.
The map on the right shows the locations of the various venues in Much Marcle.
Zoom out to see the venues outside of Much Marcle.
Full details of what is happening are given below but if you wish to print the programme, you can download a pdf version of the Big Apple brochure here.
(The brochure was produced in August so there may be additions since then.)
The Common Core
- available throughout the weekend.
Apple sales:
Take home some quality English apples –
Reddingend, Much Marcle 9am to 6pm
Roots at Little Verzons, Munsley 10am to 5pm
Cider tasting and sales
Much Marcle
Lyne Down Cider, 10am to 5pm
Gregg's Pit Perry and Cider, 10.30am to 6pm
Westons Cider, 10am to 4pm
Much Marcle Village Shop Sat 7:30am-6pm, Sun 8:45am-12.30pm
Putley:
Once Upon A Tree, 10am to 3pm
Tea and Coffee
Bottle Museum Tearoom, Westons, 10am to 4pm
Much Marcle Memorial Hall 10am - 5pm
...plus many venues will also have some refreshments available.
Lunches and suppers
Our local pubs and restaurants will be serving dishes using apple and cider recipes. Booking advisable. Also, refreshments and some food is available all day at Much Marcle Memorial Hall.
In Much Marcle |
Nearby |
|---|---|
| Royal Oak, 01531 660300 Scrumpy House, 01531 660626 (closed Sunday eve) Slip Tavern, 01531 660246 Walwyn Arms, 01531 660601 |
Butchers Arms, Woolhope, 01432 860281 Crown Inn, Woolhope, 01432 860468 Trumpet Inn, A4172/A438/A417 crossroads, 01531 670277 Roots at Little Verzons, A438 (10am-4pm) 01531 670816 |
Special Events
Saturday 8th October
Bus Walk Bus from Hereford to Woolhope, then guided walk with Hereford Ramblers via Three Choirs Way to Much Marcle. 3 hours to enjoy Big Apple events, before walk back to Woolhope to catch late afternoon return bus. Total 10 miles moderate walking. Phone Philip (01981 500398) to confirm bus times.
Our Edible Garden – guided tours of newly planted fruit and nut groves. Avenue Cottage, Much Marcle. 11am and 2.30pm
Press Your Own Apples with Little Cider Press Company. Booking essential (01531 670713). Walwyn Arms, Much Marcle, from 11am
Leominster Morris at Westons (11.30am), Gregg's Pit (12.30pm), Hellens (3pm).
Mistletoe: conservation, management and a new survey. A talk by Jonathan Briggs of Mistletoe Matters. Haywain, Hellens*, 12.30pm
Single Variety Tasting. An expert introduction to a selection of apples, their juice and their qualities as single variety ciders. With Gabe Cook and Jean Nowell in the Haywain, Hellens*, £1.50. 2pm
Craft Cidermaking – Beyond the Basics. A talk by Andrew Lea, cidermaking guru and author. Haywain, Hellens*, 3.30pm
Sunday 9th October
Big Apple Bike Ride. Market House, Ledbury at 10am, leave 10.30. Follow quiet country lanes, visiting cider producers and orchards. BYO picnic and explore Big Apple, returning pm to Ledbury. Information 01531 635432.
Our Edible Garden – guided tours of newly planted fruit and nut groves. Avenue Cottage, Much Marcle. 11am and 2.30pm
Press Your Own Apples with Little Cider Press Company. Booking essential (01531 670713). Walwyn Arms, Much Marcle, from 11am
'..And Slices of Quince' – a cookery demonstration by Fran Robinson, using this deceptive, fragrant orchard fruit. Haywain, Hellens*, 1.30pm
The Mystery and History of the Perry Pear – a talk by Jim Chapman, Hartpury National Collection of Perry Pears. Donations to Hartpury Trust. Haywain, Hellens*, 3pm
*Please note that unless otherwise stated the entry charge of £2 will cover all events on the Hellens site
Weather Forecast
Pictures from Saturday 8th
- 01
General view of the Hellens site
- 02
Noggin Farm pork products selling barbecued sausages
- 03
Ed Elliot's sculptures getting an admiring glance from a volunteer
- 04
Walcot Organic Nurseries display
- 05
The Tree Shop - Frank P Matthews
- 06
Pork and Two Veg
- 07
Once Upon a Tree
- 08
Herefordshire Woodpecker Survey
- 09
Jus - single variety apple juice
- 10
Hereford Orchards Community Evaluation Project
- 11
Another general view at Hellens
- 12
Apples on display in The Great Hall
- 13
...and you can buy these...
- 14
...or these...
- 15
...at the Apple market
- 16
Perry Pear display
- 17
Gabe Cook talking about cider and perry
- 18
Little Marcle Memorial Hall...
- 19
with its teas and cakes...
- 20
...and Eric Bottomley's pictures.
- 21
Cycling is a popular way of getting around the venues.
- 22
Perry making at Gregg's Pit...
- 23
with local MP, Bill Wiggin, giving James Marden some advice...
- 24
...and a bit of help squeezing out the juice.
- 26
Back at Hellens, the Leominster Morris entertain...
- 27
...with their colourful display.
The Venues
Much Marcle Memorial Hall (GR658330)
Coffee: 10am -12 noon; lunch (soup & rolls) to 1:30pm
Apple teas – delicious! 2.00 - 5.00pm
Orchard paintings exhibition by local artist Eric Bottomley
Hellens (GR661333) (HR8 2LY)
Open 12.00 noon - 4.45pm
A Feast of Apples – displays of apples, cider fruit and perry pears; tastings of dessert and culinary fruit;
Apple identification by Marcher Apple Network (£2 a variety on the day where possible; otherwise collected and retained for investigation). Ideally bring examples which include the stem and a leaf or two as these help identification.
Apple market selling less usual varieties.
Traditional pressing of perry pears.
Tours of the house (£6, concessions) at 2pm and 3.30pm.
Various talks – see special events.
Sales of apple juice, cider, perry, trees, tools, etc.
Stall-holders who have confirmed (with web links)
Tools for Self Reliance Cymru
Once upon a Tree
Jus
Roots at Little Verzons
Noggin Farm Sausages
Pork and Two Veg
The Tree Shop, Frank P Matthews
Walcot Organic Nursery
Ed Elliott Sculpture
Open 12 noon to 4.45pm.
Payment for entry into the Hellens site (£2 per adult, children under 16 free) covers all activities within the site, except where an additional charge is noted below for special events such as tours of the house or the cider tasting.
If coming by car, please have payment ready as we will have the payment point before the car parking area. Cash only please - we cannot take cheque or card payments.
You will be able to leave the Hellens site and re-enter later the same day on production of your entry tickets.
Gregg's Pit (GR662323) (HR8 2NL)
Open day – small scale artisan perry/cider-making in a traditional orchard. Ploughman's lunches by Truffles Delicatessen.
Open 10.30am - 6pm
Awnells Farm (GR658319) (HR8 2NW)
Guided walks
through the orchards. Meet the traditional Hereford cattle.
Craft activities for accompanied children, 11am – 1pm.
Donations welcome.
Open
11am - 5pm
Westons Cider (GR648331) (HR8 2NQ)
Guided tours (£7.50/£4.00) 11am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm.
Self-guided orchard walk.
Shire horse dray rides (£3.50/£2.50).
Open
10am - 4pm
Avenue Cottage (GR649321) ( HR8 2NU) New venue!
Cottage perrymaking, an abundance of traditional fruit and nut trees, new and old, and an edible hedge. Watch the family pressing throughout the weekend – recent
beginners with bags of enthusiasm.
Open 10am - 5pm
Lyne Down Cider (GR646312) (HR8 2NT)
Open day – demonstrations of traditional cidermaking;
refreshments; live jazz (pm).
Open 10am - 5pm
St Bartholomew's Church (GR657327)
Harvest church open, produce sale, tours of the bell tower
(children must be accompanied by an adult).
Donations welcome.
Open
11am - 5pm
Marcle Ridge Country
Another good reason to come to the Big Apple is simply to enjoy this wonderful stretch of countryside. Hopyards, pasture and soft fruit fields mix with the orchards and woodland to create a lovely farming patchwork.
The slopes of the Marcle Ridge offer splendid views across to the Malvern Hills to the east, while Woolhope, to the west, is within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Getting Here
Much Marcle lies on the A449 Ledbury to Ross on Wye road.
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.
Parking
There is car parking at Hellens and Westons. There is some parking at other venues but may be more limited in capacity. Please do not park in areas designated as "No Parking". Most of the Much Marcle venues are within a 15 to 20 minute walk of each other so why not park at one location and enjoy the walk to the other events?
Cycling
This is a popular way of getting around the venues and avoids the hassles of car parking.
On the Sunday we also have the annual Big Apple Bike Ride - join a group on a leisurely ride along quiet country lanes from Ledbury to Much Marcle.
Ploughmans lunches and other refreshments are available in Gregg's Pitt orchard, BYO picnic, or book a pub lunch at one of the local pubs (see above).
Meet at Ledbury Market House, 10am for a 10.30 start. More details from Bella Johnson, 01531 635432.
See also comecyclingledbury.com
Public Transport
If you wish to come by public transport, Transport Direct can work out a route for you - just enter your details in the form below and click on 'Go'. 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 - eg HR8 2LY is the postcode for a large area of Much Marcle - look out for the signs on the roadside when you near your destination.
Local Information
Pixley and District Website
The Cider Route
Visit Ledbury
Accommodation
Look on the Accommodation page for details of accommodation websites and local camping and caravan sites.
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