Herefordshire

Herefordshire is England's cider country. The orchards here contain heritage apple varieties - Foxwhelp, Styre, Kingston Black - that exist in no commercial nursery catalogue. They survive because individual orchardists maintain them, grafting from existing trees, pressing in traditional mills, and blending by taste rather than recipe. The knowledge of which varieties to combine, when to press, how long to ferment - this is embodied knowledge that cannot be written down.

The Archive documents Herefordshire's cider orchardists as both Makers and Stewards. They make cider using traditional methods, but they also steward a living collection of genetic material - heritage apple varieties that would vanish from the earth if their orchards were grubbed up. The January wassail, performed in the orchards to bless the trees and ensure a good harvest, is a Carriers tradition that connects the orchardists to the ceremonial calendar of the region.