If you are looking for ways to spend more time outdoors and connect with nature, we’ve got you covered, apple harvest season is here!
Autumn has arrived and it has been raining a fair amount, but that does not mean you have to stay indoors watching Netflix on demand.
Across the UK, apple trees are laden with fruit and it is harvest season. What’s even better, many orchards open their doors at this time of the year to let people harvest, taste this delicious fruit and learn everything apple-related.
Two years ago I visited Brogdale Farm and not only had a fantastic time but also brought home a box of delicious heritage apples that kept us well nourished up until Christmas!
This article gives you some ideas on where to go for apple harvest and keep the doctor away 😉
Day Trip to Brogdale Collections
Brogdale Collections is home to the National Fruit Collection and hosts about 3,500 varieties of fruit trees. This includes apples, pears, cherries and quinces.
There are over 2,000 varieties of apple trees at Brogdale. They even have apples that taste of pineapple – Ananas Reinette. I tried it on my visit and was blown away by the “hints of pineapple” taste.
We started the visit with a tour through the different orchards. It is led by volunteers who know all sorts of details about the trees in the collection. A fun fact we learnt is that if you own an apple tree and you don’t know which variety of apple it is, Brogdale offers a testing identification service. Isn’t that interesting!
After the tour we were shown the orchards that one could pick apples from. It felt like wine tasting but with apples! So many different flavours and textures to choose from.
Once we couldn’t pick / eat any more apples, we walked past a small market with pop-up stalls offering products ranging from honey to preloved garden tools. We bought both!
We ended the visit at the visitors shop and came home with a number of bottles of craft cider – the perfect treat after a long drive.
When: 5th, 6th, 19th, 20th of October 2024
Where:
Brogdale Farm
Brogdale Road
Faversham
Kent
ME13 8XZ
Tickets available for sale online at the Brogdale Collections website, included below.
Weekend outdoors with the Harvestime festival
The Harvestime festival is a community-led celebration of orchards in the Marcle Ridge where you can explore local orchards and taste fresh apples, cider, and perry.
The festival is perfect for those who want to spend time outdoors, connect with nature and the rural heritage of English orchards. From exploring picturesque apple and pear orchards to learning about traditional fruit farming, and sampling fresh produce, there are activities for everyone.
You can see all the activities at the different sites where the festival is taking place here.
When: 12th-13th October 2024
Where: Various locations in the parishes of the Marcle Ridge, Herefordshire
Pick your Own at Hewitts Farm
Set in Kent, just outside Orpington, at Hewitts Farm you can pick apples and a number of seasonal produce in their ‘Pick your Own’ area. The types of apples available are more of the commercial type like Gala, Cox and Bramley.
During October, Pumpkins are also usually in season so you can stock up for Halloween!
What’s more, the farm shop offers a wide range of local produce so it is very unlikely you will leave empty handed.
Visit their Facebook page here for updates on what is in season.
Other Places
It is estimated that the UK has over 20,000 traditional orchards, so chances are there is one near you open for visiting during harvesting season!
Kent, Herefordshire, Somerset and East Anglia are some of the most popular locations were apple orchards are located.
With so many options to choose from, it is easy to spend time outdoors this October and connect with nature.
If you have visited or are planning to visit an orchard this autumn, please leave us a comment, we would love to hear your experience!
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