Here's to thee old apple tree

And hoping thou mayst bear

Around the village of Sandford there remain the vestiges of a cider apple industry which spans the centuries.

When there are any trees left in an orchard nowadays - its almost certainly because the farmer cannot bear to see a beautiful and traditionally vital part of his farm torn away.

The sad truth is that the standard orchard, as a method of producing fruit for the cider market is simply not viable. But orchards are so much more than simply a source of fruit. They are the winter home for populations of pollenating insects, which go out and work the crops for the farm. They are fantastic shelters for young and vulnerable stock, not to mention great scratching posts.

The fruit left behind by the cider maker is food for many animals, from foxes and badger to field fare, blackbirds, mice, voles, pigeon - and so in turn acts as a living larder for owls and other raptors.