SLOG Events
SLOG holds practical and interesting events for our members throughout the year including grafting and budding workshops (where you can create your own trees, all materials provided), pruning workshops for both standard and espallier trees, orchard visits, seasonal meetings with guest speakers and members apple pressing days where you can bring your own apples to be pressed (with some volume limits). We also have a stand that tours some of the local fairs and events. You always learn something at a SLOG event!
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
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Saturday 16th September - 2pm – Summer Orchard Visit: Broughton Bank Perry & Cider, Cartmel. Meet at :
LA11 7SH. Tour of John Hibbert’s orchard and fermentation facility as described on website: www.ciderman.co.uk . The gateway for parking is located at https://w3w.co/spooked.wobbles.overlook There will be a few spaces available for the disabled nearer the house or on the road outside, but the drive to the house itself is a bottleneck. please can those planning to go advise me by email to andyjgilchrist@hotmail.co.uk so we can get an indication of numbers to expect. The gateway for parking is located at https://w3w.co/spooked.wobbles.overlook.
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Saturday 18th November - 2pm - Pruning & Planting
SLOG Annex: Mill Fields Orchard, Crosthwaite
An afternoon of new planting, formative pruning and general husbandry at the SLOG secondary orchard.
Parking at Crosthwaite Argyles Village Hall (LA8 8HT - What 3 Words location here. Google Maps location here.
Then proceed on foot down the trackway (Oak Lane) opposite the hall, adjacent to the bowling green, for 200m until arriving at the gate marked 'Private Land' on the right. There is spare parking space at the Primary School.
Apple Pressing Dates: for all apple pressings, bring clean apples, containers for the juice and a container to take away your spent pulp.
Saturday 30th September at Halecat. We will again operate the time slot booking system which has been successful in previous years. Contact Dick Palmer at dickrhonapalmer@gmail.com to book a time slot. Bring up to 40kg of apples for a single batch pressing. Directions: From A590 take the Witherslack turning. Pass the Derby Arms and take the left turn in the village centre. Follow the brown signs for Halecat Garden Centre. Abi and Tom's Garden Plants - Home
Sunday 17th September 10am – 4pm: Dalemain Harvest Celebrations – see Dalemain website for details: Events — https://www.dalemain.com/
Sunday 24 September 11:00 to 15:00 Haigh Walled Kitchen Garden Apple Day SLOG Members invited to attend and visit the orchard and garden. Location details are as for Haigh Woodland Park. https://www.haighwoodlandpark.co.uk/index.aspx
Astley Park Walled garden will also be holding their Apple Day on the same day so it could be a 2 in 1 day as they are quite close together. (25/30 mins drive)
Saturday 30th September 11am – 3pm: Ford Park Apple Day, Ulverston, apple pressing & identification. For details, see: HOME | Ford Park (ford-park.org.uk)
Sunday 1st October 10am – 4pm: Hutton-in-the-Forest Apple Day, apple pressing & identification by NCOG Home (ncorchards.co.uk)
Friday 6th October, Claver Hill Community Garden are offering a joint apple pressing with SLOG members in North Lancashire, at Hest Bank. Please email Moyna Hargest at moyna_m@hotmail.com for more details and to book a time slot and to get directions. 30 minute time slots from 10am – 4pm.
Saturday 7th October – SLOG members apple pressing at Foxfield – contact dickrhonapalmer@gmail.com to book a time slot & for directions.
Sat/Sun 7/8th October – Beetham Nursery Apple weekend, apple pressing & identification Apple Weekend 2023 - Events - Beetham Nurseries
Sunday 8th October – Acorn Bank Apple Identification Acorn Bank | Lake District | National Trust
Saturday 21st October 10am – 2pm Sedbergh Apple Day, apple pressing & identification at The Peoples Hall, Howgill Lane, Sedbergh LA10 5DQ Organised by COGS (Community Orchard Group Sedbergh), there will be apple pressing using the Spiedel Mill & Hydropress, apple identification & advice, other related stands & live music Directions: https://www.sedbergh.org.uk/locations/peoples-hall/
Saturday 21st October – National Trust Footprint, Windermere, apple pressing. For details contact Dick Palmer dickrhonapalmer@gmail.com
Sunday 29th October 10am – 3pm SLOG members apple pressing at Sprint Mill, Burneside. To book a time slot, email andyjgilchrist@hotmail.co.uk This is the final opportunity to bring your apples for pressing into juice. Don’t forget to bring containers for the juice and bags to carry away the spent pulp. Directions: From Burneside take road past paper mill towards A6, Immediately before bridge over River Sprint take track on left for 100yds then park on left.
Orchard Events
The orchard planting is coming along. A plan of the orchard and its varieties is now available.
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More details are on the SLOG Orchard page.
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If you would like to join the orchard team, please email Andy Andy Gilchrist or call 01539 727772.
We see this as an opportunity to:
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maintain some of the rarer Furness, Cumberland and Westmorland varieties, from which scion wood and/or buds can be provided for propagation
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grow on grafts from unidentified trees to obtain fruit for identification
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evaluate scab-resistant varieties under Cumbrian conditions
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evaluate new rootstocks such as M116
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evaluate the suitability of new varieties for Cumbrian conditions
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etc etc (and it doesn't have to be just apples!)
North Cumbria Orchard Group Events
NCOG events are open to SLOG Members as a reciprocal arrangement.
A link to NCOG events can be found by clicking here:
One of the many tasting and pressing days
Gilchrist Gold - Pear from Crook Foot Orchard
SLOG Orchard Spring Colours
Crook Foot Orchard - Gilpin Valley