Apple Day with the National Trust

Apple Day.

I was sent by the National Trust to photograph the Apple Day at Barrington Court down in Somerset just outside Yeovil. I arrived early to find the property shrouded by a thick Autumn fog. I had a volunteer all lined up to help me get the model release forms signed as I took the photos.

In the orchards volunteers had cut a trail  through them to encourage the visitors to take barrows round collecting all the windfalls. Barrington has over a 100 different varieties of apples. Some good for eating, others better for Cider. They even have some donated from a famous collection North of the border. This collection is being spread over the counties to help secure the future of the various kinds.

The Apple Day weekend at Barrington had various activities to engage the visitors with. Barrington were very crafty in getting all the windfalls collected by the younger visitor. Once collected they wash them then crunch them into a mush. Mush is pressed  between cloths called cheeses, and hey presto apple juice comes out. After that it is either bottled and pasteurised to go for juice. Or stored and fermented to make cider. There was also a place where you could make you apple animals. You could watch the apples being pressed on a much smaller press. They had a display of all the apple varieties grown on the estate.

On the day the weather did eventually improve, and I think every one had a great day. The Trust got their orchards cleared of all windfalls, the kids had great fun racing round filling barrows (very competitively), and along the way may have learned a thing or two. There was dancing, tasting and eating in the lovely grounds looking very colourful in this Autumn.

I got some great shots and was very grateful how people were happy for their youngsters to be photographed for the Trust. If you want to know more about these seasonal days  such as the Apple Day please follow this link https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/autumn-apple-days-and-festivals