They came over the Levels through mediaeval mists and thin, intermittent rain. Scores 0f our most loyal, most resolute clients – all bound for Charlton Orchards near Creech St Michael. And what for? To wassail our new apple saplings in deep, thick, sticky mud – an orchard of 60 trees to mark 60 years of the Chapman dynasty at Taunton’s Castle Hotel.
They came with their hunting horns, rattles, bells, trays, pots and pans. A handsome gathering of favourite Castle folk whom we greeted with scrumpy, apple juice and mulled wine; pork pies, game terrine on toast, and apple & cinnamon doughnuts. Paul on his fiddle and Brian on his accordion amusing us with there ancient wassail songs. And a blazing brazier keeping the chill from our bones.
Louise unveiled the bright blue “Castle Orchard” sign, listing the ten traditional English apple varieties we have planted.
With a pair of shovels, we heaped the sodden earth around the 60th sapling. The crowd roared, banged their trays, blew their horns, rattled their rattles.
Then Kevin, The Mighty McCarthy, and I took up our positions by the blue sign and chanted our wassail verses.
“Apple tree, apple tree, we all come to wassail thee…”,the poem ending with the refrain: “Hats full, caps full, three bushel bags full…” More cheers, more banging, bugling and noise to ward off the evil spirits while Sally and Duncan, who run Charlton Orchards, christened the trees with cider.
Paul and Brian now led the throng with their own verses and, accompanied by fiddle and accordion, we all sang this merry song:
Old apple tree we’ll wassail thee
The Lord does know where we shall be
When apples come next year.
For to bear well and to bloom well
So merry let us be.
Let every man take off his hat
And shout at the old apple tree.
Old apple tree we wassail theeAnd hoping thou wilt bear.Hats full, Caps full,
A gurt bushel bag full,
And a little heap under the stairs.
Hip hip hooray!
Kit Chapman, prop. The Castle at Taunton, author My Archipelago
[...] 17th, we’re off to join Kit Chapman, hotelier, author and broadcaster, and friends to a brief apple orchard planting ceremony and party to inuagurate the planting of a new apple orchard, the last of several events to mark the [...]