From blossom-filled orchards and hedgerow harvests to traditional recipes and community celebrations, apples have long played a part in Dorset’s living heritage.
Their story can still be seen across the county today, bringing communities together through community orchards, local food traditions, farmhouse cider and the enduring popularity of Dorset apple cake.
Orchards have shaped Dorset’s landscape and rural way of life for centuries. The deep loam and clay soils of West Dorset proved ideal for apple growing, and by the late 1700s around 10,000 acres of the county were planted with cider orchards.
In Hardy’s Dorset, few farms would have been without an orchard and cider press. Apples were woven into everyday life, with cider often forming part of a farmworker’s wages and providing welcome refreshment during the busy harvest months.
Although many traditional orchards have been lost over time, a growing number of organisations, landowners and communities are working to conserve historic varieties and restore orchards for future generations. These orchards are not only important cultural landmarks but also valuable habitats for birds, pollinators and wildlife.
In 2007, the pomologist Liz Copas and cidermaker Nick Poole began a quest to find and identify old varieties of cider apple trees around Dorset. It was a search that lasted over a decade and took them across the county, from farm to farm, village to village, searching forgotten orchards, neglected hedges and the corners of cottage gardens.
Their book Lost Orchards pulls together all their research and is a beautifully illustrated guide to the varieties they discovered. You can buy the book from the Little Toller Books website
Slack-ma-Gurdle, Golden Ball, Hoary Morning, Green custards and Greasy Jacks are just some of the traditional varieties of Dorset apples!
One of Dorset’s most enchanting orchard traditions is wassailing, a centuries-old custom held in apple orchards during midwinter.
The word “wassail” comes from the Old English “wes hāl”, meaning “be whole” or “be in good health”. Traditionally, communities gathered among the apple trees to sing, make noise, pour cider around the roots and wish the orchard a fruitful harvest for the year ahead.
Today, wassailing events continue across Dorset, bringing together music, storytelling, dance, local cider and community spirit.
The tradition connects modern communities with the county’s rich agricultural heritage and reminds us of the deep relationship between people, food and landscape.
Community orchards are helping reconnect people with Dorset’s apple-growing tradition.
Bridport Community Orchard is a thriving community space where volunteers care for fruit trees, produce apple juice and preserves, and celebrate the annual harvest. The orchard has become an important local gathering place and a wonderful example of community stewardship.
Broad Oak Community Orchard is managed by Dorset Wildlife Trust, and is home to traditional apple and plum varieties and provides valuable habitat for wildlife. Visitors can enjoy peaceful walks among old fruit trees while learning about Dorset’s orchard heritage.
Across Dorset, Community Orchards provide opportunities to volunteer, learn traditional skills, enjoy nature and celebrate local food culture. As well as making apple juice, apple cake and preserves, they are keen to celebrate their apple heritage.
Look out for Apple Day celebrations (21st October each year), wassails and other seasonal orchard events taking place across Dorset, and discover the communities helping to keep these traditions alive.
From the start, Apple Day was intended to be both a celebration and a demonstration of the variety we are in danger of losing, not simply in apples, but in the richness and diversity of landscape, ecology and culture too.
From blossom to bottle, Dorset apples can be enjoyed in many forms:
Made with seasonal apples and enjoyed across the county for generations, this much-loved classic is a celebration of Dorset’s orchard heritage.
Found on café menus, in tearooms and around kitchen tables alike, it’s a taste that locals cherish and visitors return for, especially when served warm with a generous dollops of Dorset clotted cream. Mmmm…
Ready to bake your own? Follow the recipe or make it your own with a seasonal twist. Either way, enjoy.
Discover the people and places behind Dorset’s food and drink through the Taste the Story film series from Dorset Food & Drink. These films shine a spotlight on the farmers, growers, makers and producers whose work helps shape Dorset’s identity.
One featured story explores Dorset Nectar Cider, a family-run orchard and cidery where every bottle begins with apples grown on their West Dorset farm. The film follows the journey from blossom to bottle, revealing how traditional orchard management, sustainable farming and generations of expertise create award-winning organic cider.
Visit the Dorset Food & Drink website for more history of Dorset cider and try a tasty tipple from this range of ‘appletastic’ Dorset Food and Drink Cider Producers:
As well as a tasty harvest – for eaters, juice and cider – traditional orchards are also great for wildlife. As autumn turns to winter, fruit left on the ground are welcome food for birds such as redwing and fieldfare but they provide a haven for wildlife all year round.
Dorset Wildlife Trust continue to wave the flag for Dorset’s orchards, and even boast a orchard nature reserve of their own, just north of the Dorset National Landscape near Sturminster Newton.
One of our favourite signs of Autumn is the sight of juicy apples flourishing in gardens and orchards. We celebrate our love of apples, and the historic landscapes they sit within, through poems and stories featured in the Stepping into Nature project’s Seasons of Stories Autumn.
Hear more about the inspiration behind the book from the creators storyteller Martin Maudsley and poet Sarah Acton in a short video filmed from, where else but, a beautiful Dorset apple orchard!
