A CELEBRATION of apples will be taking place at a community orchard in Hereford next week.

The Villa Street community orchard and garden has 11 mixed fruit trees of its own, including Herefordshire’s own russet apple variety.

The site which runs alongside the River Wye was established in 2015 by members of the local community after Hereford Housing Association identified the derelict area of land adjacent to its flats as somewhere in need of regeneration, in order to make it more family-friendly.

As part of the celebration apple pressing, tasting, peeling and even volcano making will be taking place next Tuesday between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.

Martin Danks, has been gardening for more than 60 years and is one of the founders of the Villa Street Community Garden.

He said: "I’ve been gardening since the age of three when I grew my first wheat!

"My passion for gardening led me to create, with other local people, the community garden on what used to be market gardens for Hereford, before the local housing expansion was begun in the 1930s.

“The community garden is fast becoming a place of pleasure and learning where local people can come and enjoy the garden in their own way."