The Heritage Orchard Year: Autumn 2004 ~ Autumn 2005

• Main website
• Heritage Orchard: Introduction
• Dorset's Orchard Heritage
• Exploring the Archives
• Animating Research
• Book List and Contacts
• Galleries:1|2

A year of celebration and discovery

"According to many farmers, Dorset was the first county in England to make cider. It is claimed that the art of cider-making was first introduced into this county by monks from northern France who settled in a village near Bridport some time before the Norman Conquest. . . . Whether this be true or not, Dorset certainly ranks with the counties in the West of England which have produced cider for centuries."
1938 P. T. H. Pickford
(Cider Orcharding Advisor to the National Fruit and Cider Institute)

In September 2004 Symondsbury Apple Project devised The Heritage Orchard Year as a way of celebrating the wealth of orchard heritage in West Dorset and instigating research in the parishes, where local knowledge can play a key role in revealing the landscape and customs of the past. The aim of the project was to engage all members of the community in exploring the natural heritage of apple trees and orchards, the remains of which can still be found on farms, in villages and in gardens.

'Bitter's Gall' cider apple tree stained glass window in Bradpole

The decline of orchards has almost gone unnoticed over the years with very few records of them, even when in full production. We believe that this key element of our rural economy and its unique and beautiful contribution to the landscape of Dorset deserves a place in the history books and that through local research a picture of Dorset’s orchard and cider heritage can be drawn.

These pages bring together tried and tested research methods and new ways of exploring and celebrating our natural heritage. We have included practical advice for the care of trees and orchards to help in the task of conserving what we have, along with guidelines for replanting or creating new orchards in which, we hope, Dorset’s unique apples will once again flourish.

Apple Identification

Apple Identification is a skilled business and in great demand. You may find fruit identification offered at Apple Day celebrations. If you suspect you have a cider apple then make sure it is going to someone who can identify them. Fruit can be sent to Brogdale for identification and is fairly costly but well worth doing if you have a good tree and want to know more about it.

Display of identified apples

PDF Downloads

• The Lost Orchards of Dorset by L.Copas
• Saving Orchards by K. Squirrell
• Apple varieties found in Dorset
• Orchard care advice notes

Expert Analysis

Liz Copas, senior pomologist at Long Ashton research station for 20 years, joined the heritage orchard team on Apple Day 2004. Site visits were made as a follow up to her apple identification sessions where some interesting apples indicated orchards worth visiting. In just a handful of visits three rare apples were found and on one farm orchard the presence of dessert and cooking apples planted about 100 years ago testified to a change from cider orchards to market gardening.

In research terms identification is an excellent way of understanding how orchards were used and knowing about the qualities of local varieties can help to draw an accurate picture of the unique nature of Dorset cider and orchards. It can also lead to the discovery of useful cultivars that favour local conditions.

Liz Copas identifying apples

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