Last Sunday we visited a small orchard in Gloucestershire as one of the final events of South Gloucestershire’s Local Food & Drink Festival 2008.

As you can see, Lucas was keen to get going!  You’d never guess that he likes apples, would you?

The orchard at Huntingford House was planted in 1921.  It was a commercial orchard until 1985 when, for one reason or another, it was left to run wild.  The current owners bought the farm and orchard three years ago and have been trying to restore it to its former glory ever since.

The ground slopes steeply and with almost every step an apple crunches sweetly underfoot.  By the time we left, all the visitors had thoroughly trampled the windfalls creating an intoxicating aroma.  Apparently it was planted on a steep slope to protect the trees from frost.  In the winter the frost rolls down the hill and collects in the little valley at the bottom rather than on the trees.  Quite cunning, really.

Lucas made friends with the farmer’s dog and had lots of fun playing fetch with him.  He and Dave also had fun with the chickens, who pecked expectantly around their feet.

We made our way through the orchard, marvelling at how laden the trees were and the twisted, gnarled shapes of the trees.  Here and there we stopped to pick apples—next year I’ll bring a basket instead of abusing my poor handbag—as we’d been told to help ourselves to as many apples as we wanted from the trees and the windfalls.

The orchard is now only 25% of its original size, various bits of land having been sold off over the years, but it is still amazingly prolific.  This was driven home to me when we watched the apple pressing demonstration.

Jack, who must have been about 13, demonstrated how to press apples the modern way.  First the apples checked over carefully; any bruises or blemishes have to be cut out of the fruit before milling as they taint the finished juice.  The apples were then milled—skins, cores and all—into a thick pulp.

This pulp was then transferred to the water-powered press.  It was packed into a perforated steel drum which had a rubber bladder in the middle.  Once all the apple was in, various bits and bobs were attached—I’m so technical!—before the water was turned on.  The bladder swelled, and rivulets of juice started to trickle into the bucket below the press.  The rivulets quickly turned into a deluge and the juice was ready!

So far this year they’ve filled 800 bottles, which is pretty impressive for a small orchard!  Dave bought me a bottle of their Cox’s Orange Pippin juice which I’m really looking forward to trying.

We had some lovely warm apple pie with cream and then left for home.  I staggered along under the weight of my laden handbag, happily planning apple cakes and desserts and looking forward to going back for blossom day.

If you’d like to visit a local orchard, then check out the Common Ground website for a list of apple and pear events running in October.  Things come to a head around the 21st which is national Apple Day, so you’ll need to be quick!

Our Small Farm
Huntingford House
Swinhay Lane
Huntingford
Wotton-under-Edge
GL12 8EX

Tel: 01453 845212