Apple Day

Visitors will have the chance to sample a huge range of apples, including several heritage varieties such as Ashmead's Kernel and D'Arcy Spice. Local producers will be selling fresh juices, ciders, jams, jellies and home-made cakes.

There will be two main Apple Day marquees in the Garden this year, one dedicated to the tasting and sale of apples, all grown in the Eastern Region. Expert local apple growers and botanists will be on hand in the second marquee to identify apples brought in by visitors from their own gardens.

Special events this year will include a lecture on the history of apples by the Director of the Botanic Garden, Professor John Parker, and in the afternoon there will be a Children’s Trail and an Apple Faces collage for families.

"This year’s apple season was later than usual by about a week to ten days,” said Professor Parker. “The reason for this probably goes back to the long period of very dull, cool weather we had in early May immediately after apple blossom time. The newly-set fruit just didn’t grow for a couple of weeks.

“The rest of the year has been fine for apples. The crops are quite heavy and the predicted quality is good. Low temperatures were needed during September to help the ripening process, and to develop the rich aromas that characterise our beautiful English apple varieties.”

Apple Day runs from 10am – 4pm on Sunday October 23. Admission is by the Bateman Street entrance only, costing £5 for adults (£4.50 concessions); £2 for children 5-17 and Friends of Cambridge University Botanic Garden; under 5’s free. Tickets are available on the gate on the day.