Ocle Court Cottage

Give yourself a unique chance to savour the smells and sights of a traditional drink and how it is made. Cider and Perry are coming into their own again, with the renewed efforts of large and small producers across the county to put cider and perry back on the restaurant table, in your glass at your local pub and cafe bar and in high quality "bottled" products for home enjoyment.

One of the two double bedrooms

Ocle Court cottage sleeps 6 and is very well appointed and very comfortable. Set in it's own courtyard and down it's own private drive.

Central heating throughout with a wood burner in the sitting room as well TV and hifi. The fully equipped country kitchen has an oil fired Rayburn. The dining room has a superb ambience.

There is a bathroom upstairs and shower with view downstairs. Towels, linen and all fuels and electric are included in the price.

By special arrangement during September there is an opportunity to get involved in the whole cider and perry making process at Oliver's Cider and Perry. From collecting the fruit, through the washing, milling and pressing, to pumping the juice into the oak barrels ready for fermentation.

Through October, November, December you are welcome to come and watch cider making. It may be possible to be "hands on", it just depends what is on. At least 20 other cider makers are within 25 miles, as well as a huge number of cider apple and perry pear orchards throughout the county.

The "Big Apple" weekend with fruit displays,walks and many other events takes place in October as well as The Cider Museum "Open Weekend".

For the cider and perry enthusiast you can visit The Cider Museum in Hereford, see The Chained Library at The Cathedral with the earliest written mention of cider, study the Pomona produced by Hogg and Bull at The Hereford City Library as well as other early works on cider. See the rooted branches of the biggest ever perry pear tree on the banks of the Wye in front of Holme Lacy House hotel, the former residence of Viscount Scudamore, the orchardist who made Herefordshire the home of the Redstreak apple in the 1600's.

Visit Orchard, Hive and Vine in Leominster for a huge selection of ciders and perries, also The Hop Pocket at Bishops Frome or head for the ever increasing number of pubs that have a good stock of cider and perry. Visit Westons cider in Much Marcle as well as The Scrumpy House restaurant and walk down The Monks Avenue to Hellens and see the remaining trees that The MP for cider C.W.Radcliffe Cooke planted in the late 1800's. Visit all the cider makers on the "Cider Route".

Through the year, the seasons all have their purpose and a visit at anytime reveals aspects of the cider makers year.

January, sees the Wassail to thank the goddess Pomona for last years crop and to bless the coming season.

February and March are quiet months as the juice finishes fermenting and undergoes racking and maybe the malolactic fermentation ticks away. Orchard work such as pruning and later planting continues and then as the end of March comes round, so the early perry pear begin to blossom and this wonderful sight continues through to the end of May and into June. Punctuated by competitions at The Big Apple, Putley and The Cider Museum, Hereford in May, accompanied by a great chance to meet the producers and sample hundreds of ciders and perries.

July and August sees the fruit increasing in size according to the sun and rain and producers ready themselves and their equipment for the early varieties that will mean the mills and presses starting up again at the end of August and another season reaches it's climax.

So, whatever the time of year you want a "cider break", there will always be something to tickle your fancy or at least the back of your throat.