August 2025

Published on August 1, 2025.

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Rivers Heritage Orchard: Preparing for Apple Day, 4th October 2025.

The most important event in the Orchard calendar is Apple Day! This event signifies why and how the Orchard exists. By the time Rivers Nursery closed in the 1980s, it had been a significant force in Sawbridgeworth for 250 years. It was a major employer, land owner and source of prosperity and national fame as a successful creator of fruit species. The Sawbridgeworth Town Crest shows fruit blossoms as a feature of the design. What a sense of loss the community felt when the business disappeared and the land was sold. Therefore, when a derelict display orchard holding examples of the Nursery’s former stock was discovered, volunteers appeared immediately to help keep this past glory alive. New volunteers have continued ever since to come forward to carry on the project of restoration and re-creation. See the story on our website of one volunteer, Elisabeth Crafer, and how she worked on the site, taking a particular interest in the art of restoration of old fruit trees by pruning.

Meanwhile in the Orchard, the fruit is maturing despite drought and heat among this year’s challenges. Even the newly planted plums, commemorating the 300th year are thriving, with the exception of a single young sapling, thanks to the judicious and effortful watering carried out by volunteers. Those who help in the Orchard regularly can watch the irregular ripening of the less plentiful fruit varieties such as cherries and plums on the old trees - and find the right moment to harvest as their reward. In the meanwhile, in the cool of evening the Orchard is a great place to stroll.


Two new volunteers, attracted by our signs as they walked through the Orchard. They are on hand for picking some newly ripe damsons.

Apple Day is a way of saying thank you to the Community and of saying these apples are yours. Come pick for yourselves. Pick also for us to make the Rivers organic apple juice, the sale of which supports the Rivers Orchard project.

The Rivers 300 Adults Art Competition ended with a digital display of all the entries and a prize-giving ceremony on July 10 in the Sawbridgeworth Council chamber. A full report of this event is available here. The art submitted - reflecting different aspects of the Rivers heritage and orchard fruit - was in many media and very interesting.


At the Art Competition prize event in Sawbridgeworth Council Chamber on July 10. 2025: the Competition judge, Chloe Boyce, on the right and the Art Competition organiser and Chair of the Rivers 300 Committee, Lanier Pole, on the left. Behind is a rolling digital display of all competition entries and Karin Keddy’s embroideries (to a Kaffe Fassett design) made earlier in the year and mounted on the wall behind.



Art Competition Winner, Deborah Savill with her watercolour painting. A runner up art entry, resembling stained glass but in fact textile art, by Margaret Starr.

Details of the Children’s (under 18) Art Competition will be announced in mid August. Children wishing to enter are warmly invited to visit the Orchard on Apple Day for inspiration.



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