Scotch Patch is an acre of land which we manage as a traditional orchard: it is where the apples that make our apple juice come from. The orchard abuts Ellis Green Common: a registered common land with no known owners. Together with our orchard, it forms the Ellis Green Local Wildlife Site.

Click here for a 4-page, printer friendly guide to Ellis Green Local Wildlife Site and walks in the surrounding countryside

The Scotch Patch orchard is planted with a range of rare breed apples including Darcy Spice (an Essex speciality from Tolleshunt Darcy) as well as west country cider apples. We use the apples to make apple juice for sale, Click here for details of this year's vintage.

Adams Pearmain	Kingston Black	The Scotch Patch Wassail .

Wassailing is a traditional Essex (and West Country) rite which is said to ensure a good crop of apples in the coming year. It involves sampling some cyder (which we have from Scotch Patch trees), singing a traditional song and blessing the trees

Most years we hold a New Year wassail ceremony at our small orchard at Scotch Patch - Ellis Green. Unlike Noakes Grove, Organic Countryside does not own the land, (Organic Countryside directors Elaine and David Corke do) but we have a management agreement. Also the land adjoins Ellis Green Common, which has no known owner, but together with our orchard, forms the Ellis Green Local Wildlife Site.

The Wassail was a chance to sample our apple juice but the most important part of the day was the ancient ceremony of blessing the apple trees: in which the key roles were performed, as tradition dictates, by the youngest boy and girl present. Bernie Horton provided each tree with a slice of toast and Jean Horton poured a libation of juice onto each tree.. Great wassailing songs were sung, with David Wrigley in good voice and Jan and Elaine providing the backing group. Let's hope the trees were pleased and do their stuff next season. You can visit Ellis Green at any time Getting there: a narrow road from the B184 leads to Ellis Green Common where you can park. Sat nav. users can enter CB10 2XP to get to Ellis Green. Buses 313 & 314 stop at the southern end of Ellis Green Lane - there is one every hour in each direction.

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