THE JUICES flowed at the annual community apple pressing day on Saturday (Sept 28) at National Trust Swan Barn in Haslemere.

Just under two tonnes of apples – some grown in the two orchards dedicated to traditional varieties at Swan Barn and some brought in by the hundreds of people attending on the day – were pressed at the free annual event.

Head ranger Dave Elliott said: “It was a brilliant day – really successful.

“The event is now part of the calendar and people really enjoy coming along. A lot bring their own apples and others come along and help press ours.

“What’s really important is the event gives a future for fruit trees. It’s very nice to get the juice, but what we are doing is making fruit trees viable.

“We have two orchards and both are doing well. All the trees are traditional old-fashioned varieties from Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire.

“Most of them are really quite rare – they are not what you would see in a modern orchard.

“We used to have to buy in apples to make our juice and cider, but not any more.”

The next Swan Barn event is the annual Wassail celebration on January 17.