Newby Hall will mark the end of its 2024 season with Apple Day and the international apple throwing championships this weekend.
Staged at the beginning of British Apple Month, Apple Day signals the end of Newby’s 2024 season until the house and gardens reopen in spring next year.
The celebrations include the international apple throwing championships which will take place on Sunday (29th September) between 1-3pm.
Contestants who succeed in throwing three apples to the far side of the River Ure will take part in the grand finale at 3.30pm, with a chance to win the coveted title and apple trophy.
Visitors keen to show off their culinary skills are invited to enter the apple cookery contest.
Returning by popular demand, the competition is free to enter with a garden entry ticket.
Categories range from pies, crumbles and cakes to chutneys, jellies and beverages and there is even a ‘freestyle’ entry where anything apple goes.
The competition will be judged by the cookery experts at Skelton WI, with the prize being a 2024 season ticket for
Newby Hall. All entries will be auctioned to raise monies for the Northern Fruit Group which promotes awareness and knowledge of growing fruit in the north, as well as registering heritage fruit varieties and orchards and advising on their care and maintenance.
Other apple themed activities will include apple pressing demonstrations, cider tasting, a display of some of the heritage apple varieties grown in Newby’s orchards and apple growing advice by the Northern Fruit Group. Setting the fun celebratory tone, Harrogate Spa Town Ukes will entertain the crowds from 1.30pm on the restaurant lawn.
Newby Hall head gardener Lawrence Wright and his team are busy harvesting apples in anticipation of another high turnout for this popular seasonal event.
Lawrence said:
“We have been busy in the orchards, mapping and recording our trees to ensure an accurate record of any that have been lost and replacements that have been planted to support the rich diversity of wildlife on the estate.
"This year has been a particularly good cropping year with plentiful moisture in spring and early summer ensuring that lots of fruit survived the June drop.
“Newby is proud to champion British apples. Last year’s apple throwing proved highly competitive, and we are delighted to be able to celebrate the end of our busy season with our visitors in a fun way.”
Newby grows 50 varieties of apple in its heritage orchards, carefully monitoring the condition of older trees and grafting new plants as potential replacements for when failures occur.
More than 30 Yorkshire varieties have been planted and the gardener with responsibility for the orchards, Gabriel Hawley, works closely with Hilary Dodson of the Northern Fruit Group to identify the more unusual Yorkshire varieties.
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