OUR
COMMUNITY
CONNECTION | SUPPORT | COLLABORATION
Growing interconnected roots helps the whole to thrive
Connected to our surroundings
Community means different things to different people, but is recognised as a mainstay for providing mutual help and support. As society evolves and traditional ties loosen, the importance of being part of a wider community increases and enables us all to grow.
Here at Dragon Orchard, we are very fortunate to be involved in many organisations and events that are part of the rich community of Herefordshire.
COMMUNITY
EVENTS
Social gatherings have always been a feature of rural life for celebrations, work and families providing mutual help and support.
Our village, Putley, and the surrounding area, has a plethora of such events and Dragon Orchard is often at the centre of these occasions.
The Big Apple Association holds the UK’s longest founded Apple Festival (30+ years), and has always had strong links with Dragon Orchard. It holds regular events throughout the year and joyously celebrates its progress.
Blossom Time, The Cider and Perry Trials, Harvest Time and The Wassail around Old Christmas Eve all provide distinctive seasonal markers.
This innovative and creative event is a great supporter of Herefordshire’s prodigious local talent, running a countywide showcase in early September.
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Our Artist in Residence, Hannah Day, will be exhibiting her work at Dragon Orchard this September.
When people come to walk in Herefordshire, one of the places they want to walk through is an orchard. Every year we lead two or three guided walks from Dragon Orchard, often featuring food and drinks from our trees and sometimes including a Cider Supper on a summer’s evening.
2023 dates:
17th - Sunday 25th June
The UK’s leading Poetry Festival, that has received international acclaim. Our cider company, Once Upon A Tree, was an early sponsor, providing juice, cider and perry. We have held poetry workshops beneath our trees and shared cider with the then Poet Laureates, Andrew Motion and Carol Ann Duffy.
Close collaboration with Charles Bennett, the festival’s first director, led to the publication of our very own poetry book, 'Orchard Days'.
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2023 dates:
30/06-09/07