Attingham Park in Shrewsbury to celebrate apple harvest
All things apple will be celebrated at a special event being held at a stately home.
Staff at Attingham Park, on the outskirts of Shrewsbury, will be celebrating with their Apple Harvest weekend on September 24 and 25.
Amongst the produce grown in the organic orchard and walled garden are more than 35 different apple varieties. All these apples are picked by hand and over the weekend visitors will be able to see the large wooden apple press in action and buy some of the juice to drink or take home.
Katherine Dowd, senior gardener, said: "With the oranges, reds and greens of the autumn produce, harvest really is a special time for the orchard and garden. We really do celebrate the 'fruits' of the spring and summer labour.
"We'll be pressing fresh juice every day, as well as being on hand to talk to visitors about growing and harvesting the organic fruits, vegetables and flowers we grow in the garden.'"
From 10am until 4pm the walled garden and orchard will be brought to life with demonstrations of apple pressing, folk music, harvest produce displays, an 'apple-a- day' family trail and drop-in apple carving activities with Ben Mayho from WildLife Survival School, based at Black Wood on the Attingham Estate.
The 'all-Attingham' event celebrates the autumn traditions in the garden and orchard as well as across the wider 4,000-acre estate with displays of farming machinery and a few four-legged friends in the paddock.
On September 25, apple expert Glyn Smith will be in the orchard to answer any questions or give advice on the care of apple trees and help identify any apple varieties visitors may have growing in their own gardens.
Additionally, visitors can meet the estate's beekeepers, take aim at apple-themed archery, and see the splendour of a horse-drawn carriage parade line up at the front of the mansion.
At the mansion, the Shropshire branch of the British Driving Society will be lining up at approximately 1.30pm to 2pm at the end of their annual carriage parade through the nearby countryside.
