A CELEBRATION of Apple Day is being held at Shipley’s new community orchard.

The event, from 12-3pm on Saturday October 23, at Shipley Fields has been organised by Bradford Council and Fruit Works Co-operative and has been funded by Shipley Towns Fund Award.

Activities on the day will include making apple juice with a traditional manual scratter – a device with a rotating handle used to pulp apples - and apple press. There will also be an opportunity to taste many different apple varieties, build a bug hotel and buy a potted fruit tree to take home.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Portfolio Holder for Healthy People and Places, said: “This community orchard is a great initiative and really shows people how rewarding it is to grow their own food – something which is really sustainable. It is of course very early days for the fruit trees only planted last April, but the Apple Day celebration shows what could be achieved in the future.”

Work to create a community orchard began last Easter weekend with a planting event led by Fruit Works Co-operative and the Council’s Parks and Green Spaces team. Local residents were invited to come along and help out.

Work to parks in Shipley and Keighley to coincide with lockdown lifting

Cherry, plum, pear and apple trees have been planted along with a ‘jam hedge’ of currant, raspberry, blackberry and gooseberry bushes, and a separate woodland area to encourage biodiversity and to aid drainage from the site. The project was funded by the Shipley Towns Fund.

Shipley Fields Community Orchard is located on the field behind Otley Road, opposite Shipley C of E Primary school, and adjacent to the Red Beck Allotments. It can also be accessed from the south end of the field via Norwood Place. The orchard is a 12 minute walk from Shipley train station.

Apple Day is an annual celebration of apples and orchards in the UK. It falls on 21 October, but events held throughout the month.