Restoring Rivers Orchard: Early Happenings and Great Events
Written by Hazel Mead
Published on February 1, 2025.
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From about 1993 my husband David and I became involved in the small beginnings of the project initiated by Diana Richards and Susan Clark of the Countryside Management Service. In 1995 our group became the Friends of Rivers Nursery Orchard with volunteers determined to restore the historic Orchard. Kate Yarnold was our Chair and we had t-shirts and shopping bags designed to advertise our group.
Regular maintenance on the first Sunday morning of the month was started and continues to this day. With a collection of prunings and dead wood from around the slowly revealed trees, a small bonfire would be lit on which a blackened kettle would boil so that we could have a nice cup of tea and a chat when we had finished a particular task.
On one occasion a group of employees from Fords at Dagenham came out on a team building day and cleared two rows of brambles from trees on the eastern side which gave volunteers a boost to carry on.
Wassail was first held in 1996 inside the Orchard with a huge bonfire where extra wood had to be imported as until then we had not done much pruning. With purchased apple juice and cider, it began as a very small event after which we would all go to Kate’s house nearby for a lovely supper. There was never a charge made for attending the Wassail events but people made donations. Wassail has continued annually and is now a very large community event.
Apple Day was first held in Church House around 2002 where apples picked by the volunteers could be purchased for 50p per kilo. At this time it was just a selection of cookers and eaters. A small apple press had been purchased and using this proved popular with children. The East of England Apples and Orchards organisation came along with displays and information. Our local butcher shop was given a supply of Granny Smith apples and made apple sausages to complement the event.
In 2002 a tapestry weaving project was undertaken by a local craft guild with dyes and fibres taken from fruit, weeds, fungi etc in the Orchard. It depicts Wassail, Cultivation, Blossom and Harvest. This was finally finished in 2005 and unveiled on the 10th anniversary of Friends of Rivers in Church House, where it still hangs.
In 2013 members of the Belgian National Orchard Foundation were given a presentation on the Nursery’s history at Sawbridgeworth Memorial Hall and then a tour of the Orchard. Of particular interest was the Conference pear as they grow more of that fruit species than any other in their country. They were joined by an associate professor of English from Japan, doing research into Victorian nurserymen. There too the Conference pear is popular.
We attended courses on pruning, hedge-laying and grafting so we could then teach others. We took samples from our trees to Brogdale to begin to be able to identify our varieties. Learning these skills was a great step forward as we were now able to label our trees and give more information to visitors.
In 2020 CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England or the Countryside Charity) Hertfordshire awarded a ‘well deserved commendation’ in the Environment category to Rivers Orchard for restoring the site.
Becoming one of the Orchard group has been a great opportunity to make new friends who all have a similar interest, and it’s been a great learning curve to master new skills and learn the history of Rivers Nursery. It is very pleasing to see the Orchard in such good order now. Future volunteers hopefully will keep it available for the local community.
RHSO volunteers receiving the 2019 Campaign for Protection of Rural England award in early 2020. |
Hazel and Dave Mead - two of the volunteers who have been involved with all volunteer groups that have restored and maintained the Rivers Site and Orchard. |