The best orchards for apple picking

“I love summer as much as the next person, but I have to admit that, once the calendar gets to mid-August, I just cannot wait for autumn to arrive,” said Alessia Armenise in Condé Nast Traveller. As the weather cools down and the “back-to-school atmosphere is in full swing” the “long-awaited autumn activities can finally begin”.

The season for apple picking is about to hit its peak, with orchards all around the country opening their gates for people to fill their baskets. Here are some of our favourite places for a wholesome day out.

Ampleforth Abbey, Yorkshire

This is the “perfect place to spend a full autumn day out”, said Condé Nast Traveller. September and October are prime months for apple picking, with plenty of other activities to keep you entertained. The abbey has its own cider mill, and you can learn about the site’s history of making its own apple juice and cider. Once you have enough apples, “you can visit the abbey, explore the grounds and indulge in an afternoon tea”.
ampleforthabbey.org.uk

Brogdale Collections, Kent

This south east gem is known for its “diverse array of fruits, set in a stunning natural setting”, said Lauren Hughes in Country Living. Visitors can opt for guided tours which run until the end of October, allowing you to “explore the grounds and sample seasonal fruit”. Most importantly, the orchard also runs “Pick Your Own Fruit” weekends until 1 November, with both apples and pears available to get your fructose kick!
brogdalecollections.org

Hillfield Nursery, Norfolk

More than 250 varieties of apple are planted at Hillfield, “meaning the season starts early in the summer and finishes well into autumn”, said Rebecca Seal in National Geographic. The William Crump and Ellison’s Orange varieties are “rare”, and just two of many “real treasures among the trees”. Apple aficionados can also broaden their horizons, sinking their teeth into “plums, quince and medlars”, with the latter “a wonderful fruit that’s barely ever cultivated and looks like a cross between an apple and a rosehip”. They can be “picked hard, sour and unripe in autumn and then stored inside until they become aromatic and sweet” when they are usually used to make jam.
hillfieldnursery.co.uk

Hawarden Estate, Flintshire

Apples, pears and pumpkins are all up for grabs in this Welsh haven, said Siobhan Grogan in The Times. After filling your punnet, you can head to the estate’s onsite bakery for more sugary sustenance. In the afternoon, expand your range foraging for mushrooms in the grounds: after the three-hour guided woodland walk, you’ll know your “shaggy parasols from your chanterelles”. The estate is also home to an “18th-century castle where the four-time prime minister William Gladstone lived”, so plenty for history buffs too.
hawardenestateholidays.co.uk

Mersey Vale Nature Park, Manchester

Further north, there is “apple picking in abundance”, said Emmeline Banks in Secret Manchester. Mersey Vale Nature Park is a “wonderful destination any day of the week”: the city’s traditional community-run orchards sit next to “two ponds with dipping platforms” and a “wildflower meadow”. It is “more of an informal experience” here, with members of the public free to “wander through the trees, taking in what nature has to offer, and pick the tasty apples for themselves, free of charge”. There’s a real drive to use the nature reserve to “educate and support locals in eating healthily and understanding the importance of local produce”.
stockport.gov.uk/community-orchards