Outdoors and nature

Walking

Beautiful orchards you can visit without a car

Guest blog: Make the most of apple season

By Good Journey

Join our friends at Good Journey as they share with us the beautiful orchards you can visit with out a car.

Autumn is well and truly apple season in the UK. Orchards are sagging under the weight of juicy, crunchy, sweet and sharp varieties ready to be picked. Many have wonderful names, such as Pig’s Snout, Round Winter Nonesuch, Pitmaston Pineapple and Cornish Gilliflower.

Many orchards run apple events where you can help to pick the fruits. You can often see juice and cider-making in action, taste the varieties and discover more about these rich wildlife habitats.

Here is our ‘pick of the crop’ when it comes to apple activities you can reach car-free this autumn. Every orchard listed here is a Good Journey Member, which means you get a reward when you go there by train, bus, bike or foot.

Celebrating orchards at NT Killerton, Devon

Every day in October, you can take part in apple activities that celebrate the heritage orchards at National Trust Killerton. At weekends you can join the ranger team to press apples and learn about traditional cider-making.

Simply get the train to Exeter, then hop on a bus. Enjoy a free second-hand book as a ‘thank you’ when you arrive. Get car-free travel directions to NT Killerton.

Fruit with a view at RHS Wisley, Surrey

Wander through the orchard at RHS Wisley to see expertly-trained eaters and cookers (apples that is – not staff!) alongside pear and plum trees. Climb the four-metre-high viewing mount to soak up the views of the fruit field and the Wey Valley beyond.

There’s an hourly shuttlebus from Woking train station to RHS Wisley, seven days a week. Car-free visitors get 30% off entry. Get car-free travel directions to RHS Wisley.

Orchard RHS Wisley.

Orchard RHS Wisley. Photo: Maureen Barlin, Flickr

Pick Your Own at Drove Orchards, Norfolk

Explore the orchards, bring a picnic and pick your own apples to take home. PYO is available until November.

Take the train to Kings Lynn, and then a bus direct to the orchard. You can enjoy a free apple juice when you show a valid bus ticket. Get car-free travel directions to Drove Orchards.

Apple tasting weekends at NT Acorn Bank, Lake District

There are 175 varieties of apple at National Trust Acorn Bank. Pop along on a weekend in October to taste the most recently harvested kinds.

You can travel by train to Penrith North Lakes, Langwathby and the appropriately named Appleby. Then catch a bus to NT Acorn Bank. Enjoy a gift of seasonal produce when you show a valid train or bus ticket, bus pass or bike helmet. You could be given freshly picked apples or a bag of flour from the watermill. Get car-free travel directions to NT Acorn Bank.

Crunch Celtic apples at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, Carmarthenshire

The Welsh Orchard at the National Botanic Garden of Wales is packed with Welsh and Celtic apple varieties to ensure these trees are preserved for future generations to enjoy. Join their FestAfal on 19th and 20th October to celebrate the orchard and all things apple. There will be food and drink stalls, children’s activities, live music, crafting and of course, apple tasting and identification.

Car-free visitors are rewarded with 50% off garden entry. Get car-free travel directions to the National Botanic Garden of Wales.

Apples on the tree ready for picking

Photo: Maureen Barlin, Flickr

More about Good Journey

Good Journey champions car-free leisure travel. We believe everyone should have access to culture, leisure and nature, without needing a car. We want every visitor attraction in the UK to welcome people by train, bus, bike and foot. We feature over 400 attractions to visit car-free and enjoy up to 50% off entry.

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