Last week saw the return of the ever popular Apple Pressing Day at Swan Barn in Haslemere. National Trust volunteers were on hand to help visitors use Swan Barn’s heritage press to press a range of rare apple varieties all grown in the Swan Barn orchard.  The end result? Cider for next January’s much loved Swan Barn Wassail! Watch our events section nearer the time for more details.

COPSE (Community Orchard Project South East) is a Haslemere-based social enterprise group which creates and enhances orchards in the South East for local community groups. In addition to regular events like the apple-pressing, the charity also provides invaluable advice to any locals wanting to establish a community orchard. COPSE was also responsible for planting 5 trees in the newly established Lion Green Orchard. Not only do these orchards provide a fantastic community resource, offering a place for quiet reflection, but they encourage members to work together to care for the orchard and distribute its fruit for the benefit of the local community. They make sure that the trees are cared for and produce fruit that is distributed where it can best be used for community benefit. www.copseorchardproject.org