The Lord of Misrule has decreed that next year’s Wassail 2026 will be held at Trumpington Community Orchard on Sunday 11th January 2026 at 2.30pm promptly. Initial libations will be followed by wassailing the trees in the Orchard and then processing to Clay Farm Community Gardens to wassail the trees there. This will be followed by the usual Wassail dance accompanied by the folk musicians and partaking of warm mulled apple juice. Come warmly dressed in festive finery and bring your musical and percussion instruments.
The event is free, but donations to cover costs are welcome. See you on the 11th Jan 2016
Wassailing is a celebration of our orchard and its trees. It’s a way of thanking them with libations of apple juice, and of scaring away any bad influences with music and dancing. We also ‘toast’ the trees by hanging toast, dipped in apple juice, from the branches. Centuries ago the wassailing included firing shotguns and lighting bonfires, but we are not going to do either of those things, so we are relying on you to make the noise and bring some torchlight.
Come along to the orchard at 2pm on SUNDAY 15 JANUARY 2023 to help us wassail our trees. This is a free event, but we rely on donations to keep the orchard functioning. Dress for the weather; it can be a little muddy underfoot. Children are very welcome, but remember there are no facilities, such as toilets, on the site. And finally please park considerately in this residential area.
We look forward to wishing you a hearty ‘Was Hael!’
You may have seen the wooden box on legs tucked into the orchard, and wondered what it was. A weather station, maybe? (No.) An illicit cider still? (Definitely not!) A bug house? (We have those elsewhere, good guess, but no.) It is in fact an observation hive for bees. It can be opened to reveal a glass front and back, not so the bees can see out, but so that we can see in. Recently our local expert beekeeper, Dave, noticed that some bees had built a honeycomb inside, and sent some pictures. Dave explained:
‘The pictures show the natural comb the bees have built between the two panes of glass. The bees have built the comb around two dowl rods inside to give it more strength, because if it is very hot weather and there is a lot of honey in the comb it can come detached without an anchoring point. By the time these pictures were taken (9th May), the bees had built so much comb around them that the dowels no longer show. This kind of hive does not allow a bee keeper to take any honey from the bees. Instead, if the colony ever dies out, wooden batons holding the glass in place will need to be removed to allow the hive to be cleared out ready for a fresh swarm to be introduced.’
You can ask to see the hive in action – just drop us an email or a message. It is often open if Dave or another volunteer is working in the orchard so look out for the notices on our board. We hope the bees have a great summer.
Here you can see the bees over the surface of their honeycomb. If you look on the left hand side you can see the ‘capped’ cells which are full of honey or ‘brood’ (baby bees)
The Cambridge Festival went ahead at Cambridge Botanic Garden this year. Our orchard was part of a display on Community Wildlife Gardening and it was good to see the orchard as part of an expanding network of sites. If you were not able to enjoy it in person, here are a couple of photos (thanks Rosa!) You can see the Trumpington Orchard poster centre left, together with (from top left) Orchard Park Wildlife Project, CoFarm Organic Garden, Cambridge Cyrenians Allotment Project Community Garden, Clay Farm Community Garden (also in Trumpington, of course) and finally Empty Common Community Garden (bottom right).
Don’t forget you are welcome to explore Trumpington Orchard and to picnic in it ,but please observe all the current Covid regulations, stay safe and take your litter home with you or at least put it in the bin!
Our poster is the bright green one in this colourful display.
A Muntjac deer was spotted strolling through the orchard yesterday. This lockdown has had some benefits for wildlife, with fewer people out and about. Not that these little deer are particularly shy, which is one reason for their increasing numbers.
Muntjac deer, properly called Reeves Muntjac, may have been introduced from the Woburn estate at the end of the nineteenth century, or possibly from Whipsnade zoo. They quickly adapted and have become widespread in urban areas where our native deer do not usually like to visit. They are certainly cheeky – One female used to lick the dew from the back door handle every morning, just the other side of the glass from me as I made my breakfast. And her fawn, no bigger than a cat, ‘laid up’ in a little scrape in the flower bed.
The Cambridge Natural History Society has found that Muntjac are very fond of wild flowers, especially oxslips, and I found they ate almost everything in my garden except hardy geraniums and mint. We shall check the guards around the orchard trees because in hard weather the deer will eat the bark. Still, I enjoy seeing them around, and even their strange, barking call, which I can only transcribe as ‘GRO – OH – ONK’ makes me smile.
An eighteen-month digital exploration of the global story of the apple, drawing on expertise and art collections from around the world. A response to a global pandemic.
‘It is remarkable how closely the history of the apple tree is connected with that of man’ Henry David Thoreau ‘Wild Apples’ 1862
Apples & People is a digital response in a time of great uncertainty, bringing the astonishing and international story of the humble apple to all. Symbolising global connectedness, individual achievement, happenchance, and people and nature working closely together, the apple eaten today offers hope as well as nourishment. Over the next eighteen months, this online exhibition programme will release over forty short stories illustrated with art works from internationally significant collections. Each story explores different aspects of humanity’s relationship with the apple through history, science, and culture. Apples & People reveals just how significant and iconic this humble fruit found in everyone’s fruit bowl has become. From the garden of Eden to the Isle of Avalon, the fruit forests of Kazakhstan to the walled gardens of Ancient Greece, the apple tree rooted itself around the globe and the apple has become the symbolic fruit, embedding itself across cultures within folklore, art, and literature. David Marshall, Associate of the Brightspace Foundation said: “Ignited by research published on the genetic geography of the apple, the idea for an art-based exhibition to explore the apple world, and provide context for England’s orchards, transformed in response to the pandemic. The digital approach of Apples & People has enabled distance relationships with apple experts and access to fascinating cultural collections around the world.” The exhibition programme is the result of a partnership between the Brightspace Foundation, Hereford Cider Museum, and the National Trust in Herefordshire, where more apples grow than anywhere else in the UK. David Bailey, General Manager for National Trust Herefordshire said: “The apple is so important to our work on the National Trust properties in Herefordshire, so much so we are restoring traditional orchards at many of our places to allow enjoyment and relaxation amongst beautiful blossom and bountiful harvest. This partnership exhibition puts the apple at the centre of our world as we realise the global connections of this remarkable fruit and its shared relationship with humanity.”
The UK is part of the global story of the apple. This online exhibition programme has been able to draw upon many art collections and the expertise of friends of apples all around the world. It has been supported by an international advisory panel of leading apple scientists and historians, from USA, China, New Zealand, Italy and across the UK.
James Bissett, a Trustee of the Cider Museum said: “Everyone’s life has been touched by an apple at some time – but where did that apple come from? what is its history? how was it grown? Apples & People will help you answer these questions and discover how this seemingly humble fruit has shaped the world we live in today and will continue to do so into the future.” Originally conceived as a programme of exhibitions at four sites in Herefordshire, UK, to bring together visual art & culture, sound, community engagement, science, and the natural environment to explore the fascinating history of this symbolic fruit, this online digital engagement has been launched in response to the global pandemic. It acts as a prelude and teaser to the physical exhibitions, partly funded by the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund, that will take place as soon as circumstances allow. The new website will allow users to explore many different aspects of the apple’s journey through time and cultures. Based upon the first ever commissioned map of The Apple World by illustrator Helen Cann, the website will reveal a network of stories about the apple from the ancient world to the present day. (detail shown below) Stories such as Johnny Appleseed planting seedlings across America, the poisoned apple in the Snow White folk tale, and Isaac Newton discovering gravity will highlight just how significant this fruit is to people, and how vital people have been in creating and selecting the rich variety of apples that are enjoyed around the world today.
Apples & People includes a varied collection of art images from collections around the world and will also feature new commissions across all art forms. It launches on the anniversary of the birth of the French post-impressionist painter Paul Cézanne who famously declared ‘with an apple I will astonish Paris’, challenging himself and the art world to re-think the painting rule book as he captured the humble fruit. Cézanne’s apples are the subject of the first short story and will be accompanied by his exquisite ‘Still Life with Apples’ shown with permission from Kings College, Cambridge. Antonia Harrison, programme curator, said: “The apple is culturally laden with meaning and symbolism. The fruit has inspired such a fascinating cross section of art and culture including sculpture, poetry, painting, film, and photography as well as cultural events and customs. The totemic fruit has been handed down throughout the history of art and continues to inspire artists today. It truly is a global, cultural phenomena”.
They are so short, these winter days. Cold, bleak, grim, stark, dreary, grey – however you describe them, there is not much love given to them. Especially from us gardeners. And then suddenly, there is half an inch of snow and everything changes. The snow asks us to look at the world differently. It simplifies outlines, and draws our eyes towards the smallest of details; a single gold-brown leaf, the one patch of green grass left visible. It resets our eyes, our thoughts, our state of mind. It makes me think of fairy tales – when I was little there was a wonderful version of Snow White on the television. It was made in Eastern Europe and it was set in a forest of the tallest, straightest trees I had ever seen. And the snow was so deep, and so real. Something of that survives in my heart even when I am trudging through the city slush. Which is all a way of saying – look, look how lovely the orchard is at the moment.
It was a beautiful, crisp, cold day for our Wonderful Wassail. We had musicians, singers, dancers and a Green Man. A big thank you to Ursula Stubbings for her work on a dance and for bringing along a good sized group of musicians who made the whole event really enjoyable. The trees were decorated with slices of toast dipped in the wassail cup and everyone enjoyed a cup of hot mulled apple juice which kept the bitter cold at bay.
Unlike this blog… A long slow winter of illness, unfortunately, put paid to any exciting plans on my part so I was keeping out of things. However, the orchard has been quite happily growing and budding without me, and this seems a good time to remind everyone what we are all about.
Trumpington Community Orchard is free access. You can pop in to this lovely green space whenever you need to breathe, for ten minutes or for an hour. Dogs can be secured outside – assistance dogs are allowed in.
If you want to know more about growing apple trees, just ask us on our Facebook page. We can offer talks, grafting workshops, art sessions – just drop us an enquiry and we will take it from there.
I need more pictures – anyone with pictures of the orchard, please email them to us. In the meantime, here are a couple I took nearby, first of some spring flowers, and two of a bumble bee finding a daffodil that fitted her just right!
Are you involved in running a community orchard project? Would you like to set up a community orchard near you? If so, please register for our Community Orchard Conference. Wed 8 May 2013 – Community Orchard Conference We will have speakers from the East of England Apples and Orchards Project as well as Peter Jackson, gardening expert, and speakers on biodiversity and orchard habitats. But the main focus of the day will be on letting those involved in community orchards talk to, and learn from, each other. Come and share your best ideas, learn from others’ mistakes and successes, and get stronger links with the network of community orchards across the region. Places are limited. Cost is £10 per delegate, includes sandwich lunch and refreshments. To register for a place, email trumpingtonorchard@yahoo.co.uk
Trumpington Community Orchard 