For an afternoon, a day or a full weekend – the Big Apple is a special opportunity to enjoy the autumn countryside on the Marcle Ridge. This year’s celebration of English apples, orchards and cider will include walks, talks, tastings and activities, not to mention delicious lunches and apple teas, at eight venues in and around Much Marcle.

Cidermaking highlights this year will include getting hands on experience with a 200-year-old cider press at Woodredding Farm, taking a tour of Westons Cider, and seeing the horse-drawn travelling cider press at Awnells Farm.

A ‘Feast of Apples’ at Hellens will include a market featuring unusual varieties of apples while local printmaker Annaliese Appleby will be helping visitors to create an apple tree collage at Gregg’s Pit. Two special events will celebrate the contribution of local folklore historian Roy Palmer, who died earlier this year. Sweet Cider Time, an evening of music and readings features vocal group Serenata at 7pm on Saturday evening, while on Sunday morning a guided walk will include readings from Ripest Apples, the anthology compiled by Roy for the Big Apple. A Big Apple Bike Ride, meeting at the Market House in Ledbury at 10am on Sunday, will explore the Big Apple venues from the saddle, with plenty of opportunity to sample Big Apple catering along the way.

One of the final events of the weekend will be a screening of ‘Five Fruit Trees Make an Orchard’. This new film comparing seventeenth century and contemporary perspectives of orchard value was made with the help of people with learning disabilities and will be shown at Hellens at 3.30pm on Sunday afternoon.

A full programme of events can be found at www.bigapple.org.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigappleherefordshire

Press release from The Big Apple