House Name Plaque

I've recently carved a house name in a block of stone, with incised lettering, and to make it really stand out the letters have been coloured black.  It has been built into an existing wall, and now sits very naturally in the surroundings.  It was a lovely sign to carve, as all the while I was thinking of the actual old orchard, from which the house got its name.

This is an orchard, perhaps eighty years old, with mostly apple, but some pear and plum trees too.  Some of the trees were badly damaged after the heavy snow fall last winter, with too much weight for the ancient branches.

This path leads round the orchard.  The trees are gnarled and crooked, covered in lichens and exquisitely beautiful.

The orchard has a range of apple varieties, these are Bramleys.

About half way round there is an old Yorkshire variety called Cockpit, first recorded in 1831. This is a variety which became popular in Yorkshire in the 19th Century.  It is a medium sized, flat-round, green fruit, which has soft, juicy flesh.  A sharp tasting apple cooking to a sweet, pleasantly flavoured puree.

It seems that it has been re-introduced as Cockpit Improved.

This is a heavenly orchard and I really look forward to the Autumn and harvesting, as I've been promised a crate or two from the crop.