CANCELLED Longney Orchard Open Afternoon 12th September
by | posted in: Events, GOT Events, harvest, Past Events, workshop | 0

This event is cancelled.

Sunday 12th September 2021 at 12-4pm,

Open to all. We welcome everyone, especially Longney locals, Longney schoolchildren and GOT members/families and volunteers. Browse the progress made with the mature and young orchards of Gloucestershire varieties and display boards. Juice, cider and perry for sale! BBQ but bring a picnic lunch and something to sit on (we have limited benches and chairs), suitable footwear (ground is uneven). There is a composting loo and running cold water. Please bring your own handsanitizer.

The site is part of the Severn Way. The Public Right of Way can be accessed from the white railings in Longney. No vehicular access. Please park at the lower end of Yew Tree Farm or sensibly in the road, being courteous to our neighbours. There are sheep in the orchard so any dogs must be kept on leads and keep gates closed please. We have a first aid kit and one of our committee is first aid trained.

Please check the GOT website glosorchards.org nearer the time for any changes (eg national covid-19 restrictions or bad weather).

We will also celebrate twenty years since GOT was founded.

Easter news from Longney
by | posted in: blossom, disability, Longney, orchard, volunteers, workshop | 0

The pears (and the blackthorn and plums) are now in bloom, and we’ll post pictures of some of those soon, but today here are some more general pictures and news, highlighting recent work by students from the Apperley Centre in Stonehouse who visit regularly on Mondays and Wednesday mornings:

Martin Hayes, who supervises the students on site, explains the scarecrows:

Meet Sheila and Madoc, the Orchard Guardians or, their more common name, scarecrows.  These two handsome beasts were made by students from the Apperley Centre in Stonehouse.  They are guarding the wildflower seeds we have planted.  Last years wildflowers were eaten by the sheep that were let in when ramblers left the gates open!!

Other pictures below include the new bug hotel, also built with student help, some general views of hedgerow blossom and, the recently fallen ancient willow pollard, dead for some time but toppled by winter storms:

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Pictures from our Community Orchards networking event
by | posted in: apples, biodiversity, cider apples, conference, exhibition, GOT Events, identification, orchard, orchard history, pears, perry pears, plums, pomona, pruning, rootstock, varieties, volunteers, workshop | 0

Last Saturday, 16th March, we held a networking event for community orchard groups at Toddington Village Hall.  Far too much was discussed to be reported here – maybe later when we’ve digested it all – but here are some pictures of the many and varied impromptu presentations given to everyone as we toured round the various stalls and displays.

Many thanks to all who attended, and to those who helped.  Especially to Alison Parfitt who conceived and masterminded the event.

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Pruning Workshops – help needed in November and December
by | posted in: Longney, orchard, pruning, volunteers, workshop | 0

Martin Hayes is leading pruning workshops at our lovely Longney Orchards on Thursday 29 November (update: cancelled due to the wind/rain) and Tuesday 18 December 2018, between 10am-3pm (or whatever time people can spare).

As well as people being shown how to prune we will need some people to help pick up brash into piles. If you can’t make these dates, then do come along any Monday in term time to pick up brash into piles supervised or any other time unsupervised. But please don’t do any pruning unsupervised!

On the workshop days you will need a packed lunch and all refreshments, something to sit on and appropriate weather attire/stout footwear. The ground is uneven and there are brambles, nettles and low hanging branches.

Martin has some tools but if you can bring gloves and any tools, that would be helpful.

Come and see the newly renovated barn and enjoy the views and wildlife (we have several species of owls)!

Please try to let Ann Smith know if you can make it. Martin’s number is 07900 985679.

This is a great opportunity to learn new skills or continue with already acquired skills, transferable to your own orchard!

For location details see our Longney Orchard page at https://glosorchards.org/home/got-orchards/  Please park sensitively near the white railings (near Bow Lane Cottage) at Longney.  There is no vehicular access to the orchards – just continue on foot down the public right of way track at the white railings).

And in other news…

We also have been advised of a scratter for sale: (Update, 26th November: this is now sold)
Scratter built by Workman’s of Slimbridge c1880. Refurbished to working condition and has been used at Winterbourne Barn in last four seasons.

Please contact Rob Govier at: enquiries@winterbournewillows.com to discuss cost, transport and for any other information.

Days Cottage Apple Day
by | posted in: apple day, apples, cider apples, GOT Events, identification, Juice, orchard, orchard history, pomona, rootstock, varieties, workshop | 0

Some notes from the events at Days Cottage on National Apple Day, Sunday 21st October 2018.  Apple Day, originally launched by Common Ground in 1990, has become an essential part of the orchard calendar.

Helen Brent-Smith and her papermache apples

At Days Cottage scores of visitors came along to see the Orchard and Rural Skills Centre, just south of Gloucester, to enjoy the sunshine in wonderful old and young traditional unsprayed orchards.

 

People could have fruit identified, order and buy heritage fruit trees, juice apples, appreciate the wildlife, listen to musicians, try spoon carving, and taste and buy juice, cider and perry and rare apple varieties.

 

Apple Pear Portraits

There were activities for children too, including making the longest peel and sitting for a most unusual portrait! Folk could relax in the cosy yurt or roundhouse and imbibe mulled apple juice or eat from a range of delicious apple and pear cakes.

 

GOT was on hand to sell orchard books, including Charles Martell’s apple, pear and plum pomonas (also available to buy from the GOT online shop).

For more information on Days Cottage visit their website at www.dayscottage.co.uk

Photos by Paul Bloomer and Ann Smith.

97 varieties – Pear id on Heritage Open Day
by | posted in: apples, exhibition, Hartpury, identification, pears, perry pears, plums, stone fruit, workshop | 0
Jim Chapman leads the ID workshop

Jim Chapman led a fascinating workshop on 15th September at Hartpury Orchard Centre/National Perry Pear Centre, with an introduction, guidance on use of manuals and keys to dessert and culinary pears, plus using manuals and a new approach to keys to perry pears. This was followed by a practical workshop identifying samples of pears, apples and plums (the latter from stones).

There was an opportunity to view for comparison an extensive display of named perry pears (a record 97 varieties!).

Mattias was on hand at lunchtime to show the cider and perry making equipment and provide tastings.

In addition, Jim gave advice on perry orchard planting, choice of variety, rootstock etc and a tour of the perry trial orchard.

GOT was on hand to advise on county and national networking opportunities and resources.

This event was funded by the Three Counties Traditional Orchard Project/Heritage Lottery Fund.

Photos by Ann Smith.

 

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Welcome to our News pages
by | posted in: AGM, apple day, apples, audio, bees, biodiversity, blossom, cider apples, conference, Dawn Chorus, Days Cottage, disability, dna, exhibition, GOT Events, grafting, Hartpury, harvest, Henley, identification, Juice, Longney, orchard, orchard history, pears, perry pears, plums, pomona, pruning, rockness, rootstock, schools, stone fruit, varieties, video, volunteers, wassail, wildlife, workshop | 0

Hi, this page lists all our news posts, including events past and future. To see just the upcoming events click here.  You can search for particular news categories by clicking on the category listings above this text.

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