Kestle Barton has two relatively new orchards onsite that have been planted to supersede the original orchard behind Avallen barn, where only a few old apple trees remain. The original orchard was comprised of very local varieties of mostly eating apples and our new juice orchard has been planted with the same attention to geographical origins.
The new juice orchard was planted in 2008. The topsoil from the adjacent meadow was scraped off and used to create the hedgerow that divides the orchard from the meadow. The hedges sheltered the young apple trees as they were getting established and continue to protect the orchard from the worst of the weather. After the topsoil was removed, the meadow was in an ideal nutrient-poor state to seed the native perennial wildflowers. At the same time that the hedgerow was created, the circular space at the back of the meadow was also formed with the same topsoil.
The juice orchard is accessible from the gallery and gardens through our meadow and boasts seventeen varieties of West Country apples, along with additional plum and cherry trees. From these trees, in most years, we are able to harvest enough apples to make approximately 1500 bottles of apple juice to stock our Tea Room each season.
In early 2023 an island of 54 black current bushes was established in the juice orchard, as part of a larger initiative with Agri/Culture 2.0.
Maintenance of the orchard
Pruning is a crucial aspect of apple tree maintenance, as it helps to create the correct tree structure, maintain tree health, and encourage fruit production. The juice orchard is pruned annually in the dormant winter months.
The apples are harvested during September and October. The Pavilion structure (Encampment Supreme, 2015) that is situated in the far eastern corner, was originally constructed by artist Paul Chaney as part of his developing Lizard Exit Plan project. This sheltered construction primarily serves as a holding space for all the apples while the harvesting takes place, but is also useful for shelter when groups visit Kestle Barton in the rain, and when we host specific events in the orchard such as our annual Festival of Children’s Literature.
A compost toilet was built in the orchard in 2016 to support the activities that take place there through the season. We also have solar panels installed at the top of the orchard which provide energy to our converted barns.
Since it began in 2023 we have taken part in the national celebration of Orchard Blossom Day, offering a tour of both our orchards on the last Saturday of April with tree specialist, and able researcher, James Fergusson. The tour is free and all are welcome.
A new orchard, comprised of eight rows, was planted in early 2020 as a part of a research project by Andrew Ormerod, with the support of James Fergusson.
The project is a part of a collaborative observation of apple tree family groups grown in different locations. Trees in these Mother Orchard trials are ‘half sibs’ (i.e. sister/brothers) or open pollinated seedling trees derived on the whole from named mother varieties. The varieties were sourced from three areas, Cornwall, Devon and Hereford, although that doesn’t quite tell the whole story.
The first six rows are in family groups derived from a 1932/3 Bulmer’s bush orchard yield trial, from a small orchard in Breignton, just outside Hereford. The original trees were selected and grafted on cider seedling rootstocks, seven trees were planted there and the size of trees were controlled by pruning. Quite a few were French varieties selected for their cider potential in the UK from mostly Norman but also some Breton orchards. This practice predates widespread adoption of bush tree clonal rootstocks (MM106 or M26 for example) and provides diversity below the ground from these unique trees. Yields were scored up to 1939 when the trial ended and with the onset of WW2 the trial was forgotten. At that time the cider harvest season stretched out until March, with apples being stored outside on heaps or ‘tumps’ until pressing was possible. These days large cider producers’ harvest season is between October and December with cold/gas storage used to extend the pressing season for apples, although much industrially produced cider is now made with apple juice concentrate purchased on the world commodities market. It is perhaps little known and lamentable that cider in the UK is required by law to only contain a minimum of 35% apple juice. In practice, this means that your pint of Strongbow (Bulmers, now owned by Heineken) is actually made with high fructose corn syrup, turbo-fermented to around 18% abv then back watered with concentrated juice and water with sugar to get to the 4%abv mark required. The trial orchard, because of an adherence to previous, less industrially-minded production methods, contains examples of much later ripening varieties. These trees are likely to be very tannic, ideal for making cider, if you drank the unfermented juice it would taste fruity but would be like swallowing sandpaper due to the tannins.
The last two rows contain dessert and culinary trees derived from trees growing in Cornwall and Devon.
The trial is geared to research and training, looking at similarities and differences in family groups of trees and is one of five progeny trials located in different parts of Cornwall and Devon. As a general rule if the trees are later coming into leaf they are from Hereford (although there are some early varieties), when they were assessed at the end of May some were still dormant. By this stage most of the trees in the Cornish mother orchard at the National Trust house at Cotehele were in leaf.
More information and trial results will be made available as the trial progresses.
