Brightwell cum Sotwell Orchards

A unique orchard village in south Oxfordshire

Wassail

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4 August 2024

Glorious wildflowers and insects

Here are just some of the highlights of the orchard this summer.

Bumble bee on knapweed

Cinnabar moth caterpillar on Ragwort

Hoverfly Volucella Inanis (male) on Scabious

Scabious

Wild Carrot

Scabious

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Why not hire the apple press?

Apple juice pressing
GIANT display of heritage apples
Apple tasting
Cakes & bakes all made with apples
Children's games and playground
Baguettes and coffee
Cider tasting

Apple Day - Saturday 12 October 11am-4pm

Why not hire the apple press?

Make your own juice (or cider) this year. To hire the Village Press please contact: villageorchardgroup@gmail.com - hire is for the day at £35, this includes all the equipment required for pressing but not bottles or caps.

Wassail !

Blossom

Snowdrops this winter

Community Orchards offer a way of saving vulnerable old orchards and opportunities to plant new ones. They provide places for quiet contemplation or local festivities, a reservoir of local varieties of fruit and a refuge for wildlife.

Supporters and Funders

Biffa Award
North Wessex Downs AONB
Trust for Oxfordshire's Environment (TOE2)
Brightwell cum Sotwell Community Association
Nelsons Natural World
Dr Bach Centre
Bell Garage
Dawns Country Store
Oxfordshire County Council
Brightwell cum Sotwell Parish Council

An orchard for a village

I am very much in favour of community orchards: they help link people to the land and where food comes from, and when the orchard is fully mature in fifty to a hundred years it could be of great biodiversity value if managed appropriately. Dr Stephen Head

Interesting links

The Red Lion at Brightwell
Village website
Environment Group

As the French are proud of their vineyards and wines and the Italians are of their olive groves and oils so the English should be proud of their orchards and apples