This year’s celebration of the orchard harvest at Cotehele, the National Trust estate near Saltash, has been extended into a nine day apple-themed festival running from September 14 to 22.

The festival launches in the orchards where Cotehele’s gardeners and volunteers will be collecting the apples which will be pressed. This is a big job and Cotehele are offering free entry this weekend as part of the Heritage Open Day scheme, to encourage people to come along and help out.

During the following week Cotehele’s gardeners will run tours and talks in the orchards, culminating with ’The Big Squeeze’ on the weekend of September 21 and 22 when they press the apples in the Victorian cider press.

The Apple Festival event will run each day from 11am-4pm.