Orchard groups, produce and services in the South East.
Berkshire
Richard Cox grew the first Cox’s Orange Pippin in what is now Berkshire. Common Ground initiated the creation of a celebratory Community Orchard in Abany Park, Colnbrook, with Cox’s Orange Pippin trees and others.
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Berkshire has produced a number of very successful nurserymen (famous names include Charles Ross) and new varieties of fruit, but old orchards and nurseries are being lost to housing and other developments.
Berkshire orchard groups
To find community orchards local to you, see our community orchard map
This gazeteer is regularly updated. This section currently has no listings, please contact us if you have information to add.
Where to buy trees in the Berkshire
This gazeteer is regularly updated. This section currently has no listings, please contact us if you have information to add.
Orchard services and produce in Berkshire
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Ciderniks – a small cidermaker based in Kintbury in West Berkshire using, wherever possible, locally sourced apples. Also produce apple juice and cider vinegar. Available widely in the South East and also online.
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Salt Hill Cider – independent craft cider makers located in Slough, Berkshire, which produces an organic dry cider. Available locally.
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My Apple Juice – have provided an apple & pear pressing service since 2009, now from their base near Hungerford. They are driven by the fact that most apples in private gardens go to waste. Many people have more apples than they want as juice but kindly bring us their extra fruit to reduce waste. These can be bottled, pasteurised and labelled for local fundraising groups who then profit from a minimally processed, healthy, locally grown and produced product. They also sell raw Apple Cider Vinegar, and Elderflower cordial from elderflowers collected within a 400 m radius of their home. The press is at: The Cider Barn, Hungerford Park, Inkpen Road, Hungerford Berkshire RG17 0RT 01488 686976
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The Fruitful Branch - A specialist fruit tree pruner with 25 years experience. Renovation pruning a speciality, but all types taken on - formative, maintenance, planting and training. Apples, pears, plums, figs, medlars etc.
Other links
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‘Apples, Berkshire, Cider’ is a book by Duncan Mackay published by Two Rivers Press.
Buckinghamshire
Historically most Buckinghamshire orchards were to be found in the south of the county around High Wycombe and south of Aylesbury. Cherry orchards were the county’s speciality. Today, the overall picture in Buckinghamshire is bleak:
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“Changes in agriculture have (also) meant that orchards of cherry, plum and apple which were once common south of Aylesbury were reduced by over 90% between 1938 and 1994 and are continuing to disappear. The County Council’s ‘Survey of Orchards in Southern Buckinghamshire’ revealed a 39% loss in orchards between 1975 and 1995 in one of the areas previously most important for fruit production. The condition of those remaining orchards is generally poor,” The Landscape Plan for Buckinghamshire, part 1, Landscape Character Assessment.
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The Aylesbury Prune, a black plum or damson, grown in Weston Turville and Totternhoe (Beds) in the upper greensand belt, was used for making jam. It is now a relatively rare hedgerow plum. The Totternhoe and Eaton Bray areas which once had extensive damson orchards and industry.
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“… Buckinghamshire … thinks highly of its “chuggies”, as the jet-black cherries are called locally, that the first Sunday in August is observed there as “Cherry Pie Sunday”. This marks the completion of the cherry harvest with the gathering of the late Prestwood Blacks, and it is the custom for cherry pie, or other delicious recipes such as cherry turnover or cherry duff, to be served in cottages and farmhouses”.
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Seer Green Cherry Pie Fair (nr Chalfont St Giles), June 22, still continues, and recently has been part of Seer Green’s Village Day, where there are locally made cherry pies for sale. They are keen to keep the fair going and the parish council has allocated money for cherry trees to be planted in the village.
Buckinghamshire orchard groups
To find community orchards local to you, see our community orchard map
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Midshires Orchard Group – The Mid Shires Orchard Group aims to conserve and promote enjoyment and use of the local orchards and rich apple traditions of the four ‘mid-shires’ counties of Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire.
Who we are: We are a friendly community group, run by volunteers and administered by an elected committee. New members are welcomed! We value the enthusiasm, ideas and contributions that each one brings to the group and we enjoy learning from each other. In return, we offer support for a range of heritage fruit endeavours and aim to cover all topics of interest to our members. We also have a programme of social and educational events, held throughout the year.
Our four main themes of seasonal celebration are: Winter Wassail, Springtime Scionwood Swap, Summer Field Trip and Autumn Apple Days. These popular events act as social focal points for our members and also serve to increase public awareness of top fruit heritage, promote related skills and give wider access to local and unusual varieties. In addition, they allow us to reach out to communities across our four counties, helping them develop, conserve, enjoy and make use of their heritage fruit trees, orchards and harvests.
Email: MSOGChairman@yahoo.com
Where to buy trees in Buckinghamshire
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Bernwode Plants -several hundred varieties covering apples, pears, plums, gages, cherries, vines, medlars, quinces, and some soft fruit. They have rare Buckinghamshire apple trees, the Bazely and the Long Reinette and possibly the last surviving Black Prince apple. Kingswood Lane, Ludgershall HP18 9RB. 01844 237415
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Buckingham Nurseries & Garden Centre – large number of varieties of apple, field grown, available on various rootstocks, plus peaches, pears, cherries, plums etc. Also now stock trees supplied by the Heritage Fruit Tree Company (see below). Tingewick Road, Buckingham MK18 4AE. 01280 813556
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Heritage Fruit Tree Company – local varieties for Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire
Orchard services and produce in Buckinghamshire
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Home Cottage Farm Shop – 18 varieties of apples, pears, plums and damsons and raspberries sold via farm shop or PYO. Home Cottage Farm, Bangors Road South, Iver Heath, Bucks. United Kingdom. SL0 0BB. 01753 653064
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Peterley Manor Farm Shop, Nursery and Cafe – Produce own apple juice from varieties including Cox’s Orange pippin, Greensleeves, Red Pippin and Lord Lambourne. Sell locally produced fruit and vegetables.
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Drovers Hill Farm –Produce own organic apple juice and cider. Apple pressing service – based in Princes Risborough (HP27 9NJ), they provide a local apple pressing service for Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire and turn apples and pears into bottles of juice.
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Copas Farms – has two Pick Your Own Farms – one at Cookham in Berkshire and the other at Iver in Buckinghamshire. Both offer a wide range of high quality seasonal fruit and vegetables. Nine varieties of cherries, five of plums and four of apples.
Hampshire
Hampshire Fare, sponsored by Hampshire County Council, promotes local food producers in the county. They have looked at the heritage of food production in the county including orchard fruit and have produced a summary of their survey called Hampshire’s Food Heritage. “Hampshire was never a major county for orchard fruit. There were some towards Southampton and the New Forest. The Wealden district of Hampshire, round Alton, was reported to have extensive orchards in the mid-nineteenth century, much of the produce was used for making cider. The Blackmoor estate at Selborne since at least the 1920s has built up an extensive orchard, mainly for apples. In 1934 there were about fifty varieties of apple, and the estate continues to produce many varieties of apple that are now rarely grown elsewhere”. In their research into the Hampshire Hog they found that “feeding on windfalls in local orchards helped to explain the quality of the bacon”.
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The Hampshire Federation of Horticultural Societies helped to establish a historic apple collection of 18 Hampshire cultivars bred and cultivated in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, at Sparsholt College in 1984.
Hampshire orchard groups
To find community orchards local to you, see our community orchard map
This gazeteer is regularly updated. This section currently has no listings, please contact us if you have information to add.
Where to buy trees in Hampshire
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Blackmoor Wholesale Fruit Nurseries – 75 varieties of apple + crab, pear, plums, cherries and nuts trees for planting. Online shop. Blackmoor, Liss GU33 6B5. 01420 477978
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Deacon’s Nursery – Over 350 varieties of apple tree, plus some pears, plums, peaches, cherries etc. Godshill, Isle of Wight, PO38 3HW. 01983 840750 or 522243
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Southern Fruit Trees – grow around 200 varieties of top-fruit. Soft fruit available too. Does not sell 1 year maiden trees or Dutch stock. 07760 245524
Orchard services and produce in Hampshire
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My Apple Juice – have provided an apple & pear pressing service since 2009, now from their base near Hungerford. They are driven by the fact that most apples in private gardens go to waste. Many people have more apples than they want as juice but kindly bring us their extra fruit to reduce waste. These can be bottled, pasteurised and labelled for local fundraising groups who then profit from a minimally processed, healthy, locally grown and produced product. They also sell raw Apple Cider Vinegar, and Elderflower cordial from elderflowers collected within a 400 m radius of their home. The press is at: The Cider Barn, Hungerford Park, Inkpen Road, Hungerford Berkshire RG17 0RT 01488 686976
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Blackmoor Estate – Blackmoor Orchards grow apples, pears and plums for many of the supermarkets on 250 acres of orchards. grow a wide variety of apples, pears and cherries. Major investment has been ongoing in replanting orchards with new varieties on modern ‘vineyard-style’ trellised orchards. Fruit can be bought directly from the farm or at local farmers markets
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Durleighmarsh Farm Shop – offers a wide range of local produce and own fruit and vegetables ready-picked in season. Support small local producers in the Hampshire and Sussex area. PYO – wide range including damsons and plums.
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Fruitwise grow around 40 varieties of apple, including cider varieties, and some plums in their own orchards. Fruitwise sell their fruit at local farmers’ markets. The website gives detailed experiences both of the history of the orchards and of growing specific varieties.
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Godshill Cider Co – make cider using apples mostly from their own orchards and supplemented by apples from other local orchards. Also produce own ginger beer, country wines and liqueurs.
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Hill Farm Orchards – supply UK’s multiple retailers and wholesale markets. Grow apples and pears. New orchards have higher productivity by using new intensive planting systems- the “espalier” system. Can buy apples and pears directly.
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New Forest Cider and Cider Shop – produce cider from apples in own orchard in addition to cider apples from their orchards in Somerset and Heresfordshire. Also online shop. Littlemead, Pound Lane, Burley, Ringwood BH24 4ED. 01425 403589
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Rosemary Vineyard – produces English wine, country wines, liqueurs, juices and ciders made from grapes/apples grown on the estate.
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St. Cecilia’s Abbey – Lovely historic orchard maintained by the nuns at the abbey. It is not open to the public but the fruit is available in local farm shops and businesses
Kent
Once known as the Garden of England, Kent has lost 85% of its orchards in the last 50 years. Most missed are the magnificent 60 foot cherry trees which had their stronghold in north Kent around Faversham. The few remaining are stunning in blossom time, undergrazed by sheep. Orchards can still be found in the Weald and North Kent Fruit Belt.
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Cherries were so abundant at one time that many products were made from them such as cherry wine and cherry ale. One speciality is cherry brandy made from morello cherries.
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The Kentish Cobnut is a kind of hazlenut – more cobnuts are grown in Kent than anywhere else.
Cider in Kent is usually made from eating and cooking apples and not from cider apples as in the South West, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire.
Kent orchard groups
To find community orchards local to you, see our community orchard map
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Kent Downs Orchards for everyone – The Mid Kent Orchard Project concerned with restoration of traditional orchards around the villages of Sheldwich, Milstead, Lenham and Stockbury
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Brogdale Collections – Brogdale Farm, is home to the National Fruit Collections, the largest collection of varieties of fruit trees and plants in the world. Over 2,300 different varieties of apple, 550 of pear, 350 of plum, 220 of cherry, 320 varieties of bush fruits, as well as smaller collections of nuts and vines are grown in 150 acres of orchards.Brogdale Collections provides opportunities for the public to have access to the Collections for education and enjoyment in a variety of ways including Guided Tours (April – November), Fruit Days, Festivals, Key Stage 1 & 2 education days and other courses and activities.
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Kentish Cobnut Association – represents growers and other interested parties, and promotes the cultivation and marketing of cobnuts. It runs training courses and produces a regular newsletter.
Where to buy trees in Kent
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Grow at Brogdale – The National fruit Collection at Brogdale has around 2,000 varieties of apple plus pear, cherry, plum, nuts and medlar. Grow at Brogdale offer a range of selected fruit trees online. They also offer a service to graft any of the trees in the collection to order. Brodgale Road, Faversham ME13 8XZ 01795 531888
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Keepers Nursery – 400 varieties of apple, more than 80 pears, plums, cherries and other fruits; they also offer a grafting and budding service. Online or mail order service. Website offers details about each variety. Gallants Court, East Farleigh, Maidstone, ME15 0LE.
Orchard services and produce in Kent
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Biddenden Vineyard – Produce premium ciders and apple juice from locally grown apples, as well as wine from their own vines. Also produce apple and pear juice. Free guided tours available. Little Whatmans, Biddenden TN27 8DH 01580 291726
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Brogdale Collections, sell hundreds of varieties of apples, plums, pears, cherries, quince, medlar in season from the shop. Single variety apple and pear juice is available from Tiddly Pomme. Brogdale Farm, Brogdale Road, Faversham ME13 8XZ. 01795 536250
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Chegworth Valley Fruit Farm – Sell around wide range of varieties of their own apples and pears and produce apple and pear juices and other fruit juices from own orchards, including single varieties. Fruit is grown organically and handpicked. Have shops in Borough Market and Notting Hill as well as at the farm. Sell through farmers markets and deliver orders of fruit boxes and juice to London and Kent on a next day basis. Chegworth, Maidstone ME17 1D 01622 859272
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Duskin Apple Juice – Farm pressed single variety apple juice. Available from shops or the farm.
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The Hop Shop – located in the Darenth Valley. The farm has an orchard of Norfolk Royal apples, also available in the farm shop, as is the Norfolk Royal and Bramley apple juice. Castle Farm, Shoreham, Sevenoaks Kent TN14 7UB. 01959 523219
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Moor Organic Juice – Produce a total of 14 apple and pear variety juices, incorporated into 3 brands. The organic ranges are Moor’s and Moor Organic Juice, both produced entirely from own hand-picked fruit, and the King’s Orchard range is produced from neighbours conventional fruit, all of which is pressed and bottled at Nichol Farm. Nichol Farm adjoins the land originally planted with apples, cherries and other fruits by the gardener to Henry VIII, namely Richard Harris, in the sixteenth century. This was known as the ‘Kings Orchards situated in the village of Teynham, for the enjoyment of King Henry’. Online shop and produce also available in local farms shops, restaurants and some supermarkets. Also offer a juicing, pasteurising and bottling service, and cold storage facilities. The Old Farmhouse, Nichol Farm, Deerton Street, Teynham ME9 9LJ
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Owlet Apple Juice – Single variety juices including Cox, Russett and Worcester and blended Cox / Bramley. Juices and fruit available from farm shop. Juices also available wholesale. Owl House, Lamberhurst TN3 8LY 01892 890553
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Perry Court Farm – Over 100 varieties of apples and 10 pears grown in their own orchards, available from the farm shop and local farmers markets. Produce apple and pear crisps. Bilting, Ashford TN25 4E5
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Pippins Fruit Farm – Fruit includes over 50 varieties of apples, pears, plums and cherries plus some damsons, quinces and cobnuts. Fruit plus apple juice and cider available from the farm shop. Majority of apples sold via a local co-operative to major supermarkets. Maidstone Road, Pembury, Tunbridge Wells TN2 4AB 01892 824569
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Potash Farm – The Potash Farm Plantation extends to about 6 acres and is likely to have been planted in about 1900. The plantation has been restored over the last five years and now contains about 500 original trees and 500 newly planted trees. Sell cobnuts in their green, golden and de-husked states, also cobnut oil. Widely available locally also through farm shop and online
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Roughway Farm – grows raspberries, apples, plums, cherries, greengages and Kent cobnuts. Supplies supermarkets and has an online shop. Can pickup from farm if email ahead. Allens Farm – Grow Kent Cobnuts. Supplied via mail order.
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Rentacherrytree . On the Kent/East Sussex border and have 4 cherry orchards in total with approx. 7500 trees. Total of 25 varieities grown. Available from farm shop and from farmers markets in Kent and London. Trees available to rent. Pick your own cherries from your rented tree in an orchard in Northiam (5 varieties available to choose from).
Other links
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Penshurst Place and Gardens – 11 acres of walled Tudor garden noted for its apple blossom in spring.
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In a nutshell, the story of Kentish cobnuts by Meg Game
Oxford
The Blenheim Orange, an Oxfordshire variety, has been described as one of our finest and most valuable apples.
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The first Blenheim Orange tree was grown from a pip in about 1740 at Woodstock by George Kempster, a tailor, in his garden in Manor Road, Old Woodstock just outside the grounds of Blenheim Park. The tree was a local landmark, people came by the coach loads to marvel at the tree and to take scions from it. It was known as Kempster’s Pippin until 1811. It has a distinctive nutty flavour and is crisp and juicy. Two Blenheim Orange trees were planted in 1992 in the grounds of the Museum in Woodstock. It is grown widely in gardens in the UK, but it has been said that its flavour is at its best within a few miles of Woodstock.
Oxford orchard groups
To find community orchards local to you, see our community orchard map
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Midshires Orchard Group – The Mid Shires Orchard Group aims to conserve and promote enjoyment and use of the local orchards and rich apple traditions of the four ‘mid-shires’ counties of Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire.
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Who we are: We are a friendly community group, run by volunteers and administered by an elected committee. New members are welcomed! We value the enthusiasm, ideas and contributions that each one brings to the group and we enjoy learning from each other. In return, we offer support for a range of heritage fruit endeavours and aim to cover all topics of interest to our members. We also have a programme of social and educational events, held throughout the year.Our four main themes of seasonal celebration are: Winter Wassail, Springtime Scionwood Swap, Summer Field Trip and Autumn Apple Days. These popular events act as social focal points for our members and also serve to increase public awareness of top fruit heritage, promote related skills and give wider access to local and unusual varieties. In addition, they allow us to reach out to communities across our four counties, helping them develop, conserve, enjoy and make use of their heritage fruit trees, orchards and harvests.Email: MSOGChairman@yahoo.com
Where to buy trees in Oxford
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Heritage Fruit Tree Company – local varieties for Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire.
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Waterperry Gardens has a large range of varieties of apples, pears, plums, cherries and peaches, fruit and trees. Single variety apple juice also sold.
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Bernwode Plants -several hundred varieties covering apples, pears, plums, gages, cherries, vines, medlars, quinces, and some soft fruit. They have rare Buckinghamshire apple trees, the Bazely and the Long Reinette and possibly the last surviving Black Prince apple. Kingswood Lane, Ludgershall HP18 9RB. 01844 237415
Orchard services and produce in Oxford
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Waterperry Gardens – produce apple juice from their own orchards, and have been trialling old Oxfordshire varieties recently planted in a new orchard. Waterperry’s 8 acres of gardens is a legacy from the residential womens horticultural college founded by Beatrix Havergal in the 1930s. Tea Shop and Garden Shop. 65 varieties of apple are grown here although only about 25 of these are available commercially. Also grow plums, greengages and pears, including unusual varieties like Beurre Hardy, Gorham and Glou Morceau. We press up to 22 different varieties of apple, depending on the season, in our traditional cider press. Apple juice available to buy in the Waterperry Garden Shop, as well as at a number of outlets around Oxford.
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Millets Farm Centre – Millets Farm is based at two locations: an extensive Farm Centre at Frilford in Oxfordshire; and a traditional Farm Shop at the Evesham Country Park. Nine apple varieties grown in own traditional “big tree” orchard: Discovery, Katy, Lord Lambourne, Greensleeves, Howgate Wonder, Bramley, Spartan, Cox, and Egremont Russet. Plus plums and pears, for PYO and for sale in farm shop. Also produce own fruit juices pressed on the same day of picking. Fruit juice available online. Kingston Road (A415), Frilford, Abingdon. 01865 391555
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My Apple Juice – have provided an apple & pear pressing service since 2009, now from their base near Hungerford. They are driven by the fact that most apples in private gardens go to waste. Many people have more apples than they want as juice but kindly bring us their extra fruit to reduce waste. These can be bottled, pasteurised and labelled for local fundraising groups who then profit from a minimally processed, healthy, locally grown and produced product. They also sell raw Apple Cider Vinegar, and Elderflower cordial from elderflowers collected within a 400 m radius of their home. The press is at: The Cider Barn, Hungerford Park, Inkpen Road, Hungerford Berkshire RG17 0RT 01488 686976.
Surrey
Surrey orchard groups
To find community orchards local to you, see our community orchard map
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Community Orchard Project South East CIC - (COPSE) is a social enterprise set up to engage and network with other community organisations and landowners to create and enhance community orchards in and around Surrey and further afield in the South East.
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This gazeteer is regularly updated. Please contact us if you have information to add.
Where to buy trees in Surrey
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Royal Horticultural Society at Wisley – Offer wide variety of fruit trees including apples, pears, damsons, plums, quinces and mulberry. Details in their Fruit List.
Orchard services and produce in Surrey
This gazeteer is regularly updated. This section currently has no listings, please contact us if you have information to add.
Sussex
Egremont Russet, the most well known russet in the world, is thought to have been raised by Lord Egremont in the late 1870s at Petworth.
Sussex orchard groups
To find community orchards local to you, see our community orchard map
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Brighton Permaculture Trust – Sussex has a long history of orchards with many varieties hailing from the area. BPT’s Sussex apple orchards have been recognized as a National Collection by Plant Heritage. They have planted over 3700 trees in a single year in school and community orchards across the two counties.
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Chichester District Council has been supporting community orchards in the district since 2000, and has been able to help set up a number of orchard projects including many school orchards and produce a Guide to setting up and managing a Community Orchard.
Where to buy trees in Sussex
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Arundel Arboretum – stocks a large selection of fruit trees including: Apple, Cherry, Damson, Fig, Gage, Walnut, Medlar, Pear, Plum
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Perryhill Nurseries – has around 15 apple varieties plus medlar, mulberry, pear, plum, quince and other fruit. Perryhill Nurseries, Edenbridge Road, Hartfield TN7 4JP. 01892 770377
Orchard services and produce in Sussex
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Dreymans & Homegrown Hunnys produce cider with a blend of apples, applying a natural approach. They also make mead and other produce such as jams, pickles and cider vinegar.
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Kent & Sussex Apple Juice and Cider Centre, Perryhill Orchard, Edenbridge Road, Hartfield. Farm shop which has a large range of apple juice and some ciders.
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Middle Farm, Lewes – Visitors can taste, compare and buy from a range of over 100 different draught ciders and perries (including their own Pookhill Cider). Also stock meads, country wines and fruit liqueurs, English cider brandies, apple gin, apple vodka and apple eaux-de-vie. Fresh apple juice is pressed daily, and an apple-pressing service is offered throughout the late summer and autumn.
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Ringden Farm, London Road, Hurst Green, Etchingham – grow a wide variety of apples. Also cherries, plums, greengages and damsons., quinces and medlars. Produce over 20 varieties of apple juice and offer a juicing service. Sell though farmers markets and juice available through mail order.
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Seddlescombe Biodynamic Wines – also produce dry cider using culinary and dessert apples.
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Tullens Fruit Farm grow wide variety of apples and pears. Fruit is sold from farm shop. Aso produce 5 varieties of apple juice.
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Rentacherrytree . On the Kent/East Sussex border and have 4 cherry orchards in total with approx. 7500 trees. Total of 25 varieities grown. Available from farm shop and from farmers markets in Kent and London. Trees available to rent. Pick your own cherries from your rented tree in an orchard in Northiam (5 varieties available to choose from).
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The Fruitful Branch - A specialist fruit tree pruner with 25 years experience. Renovation pruning a speciality, but all types taken on - formative, maintenance, planting and training. Apples, pears, plums, figs, medlars etc.
Other links
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‘Apples and Orchards in Sussex‘ by Brian Short, with Peter May, Gail Vines and Anne-Marie Bur
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Batemans, Burwash, Etchingham, East Sussex TN19 7DS – This National Trust property was the home of Rudyard Kipling, and has a wonderful pear alley (pears trained in a long arch) which was designed by him.
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Peter May – fruit tree pruning, planting and orchard advice services.
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West Dean Garden’s apple collection is housed within and around the Walled Garden. There are over 100 varieties of apple and 45 varieties of pear, including heritage varieties with links to West Sussex.