The Orchard Path

A journey through trees, blossom, fruit, cider, perry, apple crumble and cakes, damson jam, cherry pie and pears poached in perry.

Common Ground have been working to save old orchards and encouraging the establishment of new community orchards since the late 1980s. We invented Apple Day (October 21st) in 1990 - now hundreds of places run their own celebrations. In 2000 we produced the common ground book of orchards.

We have made a start in enticing you to explore the countryside through its orchards - beautiful in their own right in the landscape and delicious and nutritious in their produce. Click on the labels above for ways to explore this pathway.

Please help us by telling us of more orchards, orchard produce, celebrations and stories.

Find more about Orchards and Orchard Produce on The Gazetteer - hover over a county for links to local producers!

You can also read poems by Ian Blake, Leonard Clark, James Crowden, AE Housman and Michael Hamburger.
or read about Orchards and Wild Life, Fruits of the Earth and Apple Day

You can also find orchard publications and products from Common Ground and others.

Spring 2008 sees the launch of the COMMUNITY ORCHARDS HANDBOOK