Apple & Timber Weekend
Apples
Kentwell has some 60 varieties of Apple in its Walled Garden (plus other varieties elsewhere). It also has a similar quantity of Pears - this is a greater number than will be found in most Historic Gardens or even in Botanical Gardens.
Espaliered
All the fruit trees are espaliered which was (and still is) thought to give the best return in the smallest and most easily managed space; some of the trees are very ancient indeed. The layout of the Walled Garden dates from the 17th Century when the first of the fruit trees were planted.
Age of the Trees
Apple trees, like humans, have a life span. From the outset newer varieties were planted when an old tree died. The present Apple trees date from over the centuries but the majority nowadays are Victorian or later - many being ones we have planted.
The Varieties
The trees cover very early (late August) through mid (September & October) to late (November/December) varieties. Some varieties that will keep well and others that must be eaten fresh. Some are best for cooking, some suitable for both cooking and eating and some best only for eating. No, we don’t have any of the recent varieties which is about all you can buy in the Supermarkets nowadays. They are grown to be of even size and colour. Taste and purpose defined apples favoured by our ancestors and (may we say it) by us too.
What will be available
We hope to have available information about the various apples with some of the unusual varieties available to taste. We also hope to press some for juice and cider and, perhaps, to show ways you can use store and preserve apples.
Tudors
We hope to have some of our Tudors on in the Gardens and also to demonstrate cooking or preserving.
Trees
Kentwell has several interesting and/or old trees in its Gardens & Grounds: including the ancient Lime Avenue, the 1,000 year old Oak, various venerable Yews, the magnificent Cedars and the espaliered Fruit Trees in the Walled Garden.
Kentwell also has a number of woods which are not Open to the public. From these Kentwell obtains nearly all its timber needs.
Sawmill
Kentwell planks the boles of trees using a very modern transportable power saw, a masterpiece of modern design which does everything necessary in the simplest possible way. The saw can be taken to the point where a tree falls, set up over the fallen log and used to cut up the log as required. However, this saw is limited in the sizes it can cut conveniently to about 8" square.
In addition, Kentwell has a huge 100 year old, traction engine driven (originally but now driven by a Field Marshall Tractor) moving table mill or rack saw which operates a 5 ft blade for bigger boles. The bole is placed on the bench which has a movable top which can be wound to carry the bole up to and through the saw.
With this we should be able to cut any size of timber we are likely to need.
On the Day
Tour There will be a Tour round the most interesting trees
Demonstrations The transportable power saw will be shown in operation, planking a bole
The 100 year old rack saw may also be shown sawing a large oak log.
Other equipment, such as the chain morticer with which we cut morticers in oak when we are constructing oak framed buildings may also be shown in operation.
Topiary Kentwell's unique Pied Piper Topiary is coming to fruition after about 9 years. How this was achieved and how the other shaped trees were formed will be the subject of another Tour.
Apples We hope to have a gardener in our walled garden offering apple tasting and advice on the apples grown at Kentwell and generally about growing apples.
Details
| How Much of The House is Open |
All
|
| Likely Number of Re-Creation Folk |
0 - 20
|
| Opening Time |
11:00 am
|
| Closing Time |
5:00 pm
|
| Open On (see calendar) |
Saturday, 17 October 2009
Sunday, 18 October 2009
|