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The Cherry orchard at Allens Farm is approx. 100 years old. You can see from the picture on the left that the trees are between 40 - 50ft high.
To protect the unique nature of the orchard it is aided by a Countryside Stewardship grant. Generally the season runs from mid June to end of July.The crop is very dependant on the weather, rain at the wrong time rotting the cherries on the trees. |
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Originally the crop would have been picked using ladders - see right. We still use the ladders - some of which are 40 ft long, but it is not every cherry pickers cup of tea! So we also employ a hydraulic flat bed 'cherry picker'.
In April, when the blossom is out, the orchard is an amazing sight, and you can hear the steady hum of the bees as they pollinate. |
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| Varieties
Traditional varieties were grown. The most well known being the black cherry, 'Bradbourne Blacks', pictured right. Other black cherries grown are Noir de Gubin and Gouchers. There is also a dark red cherry, not quite as dark as those on the right, known as Early Rivers, and as their name suggests they are the first to crop around mid June. |
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| In direct contrast to the black cherry is the paler cherry pictured right. Florence, Amber Hearts and Napoleons are the varieties still grown in the orchard. Somehow the don't seem to look quite as juicy, but in fact they are even sweeter, and have their own distinctive flavour.
Pests In the past ingenious methods have been used to keep the birds at bay - which are the main threat (apart from the weather) to the crop. There was a system of ropes and pulleys from the house attached to large metal sheets. From the comfort of the kitchen, the rope was pulled, and after a delay of some 15 seconds, you could hear the clattering of the metal up in the orchard, and then the sound of birds as they fled. all photos and design Tallness Farm |
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