This Saturday is your chance to get involved in an evening of folklore, food and cider as the devil is given the heave-ho at Sandford Orchards in Devon
Make your way to Crediton in Devon on Saturday night to join Sandford Orchards’ special event which marks Franklin’s Night – an ancient tradition of fighting the devil to prevent a late frost damaging the apple harvest – and get stuck into live music, food, cider (of course) and a re-enactment of the historic tale.
The centuries-old story suggests that a brewer (Franklin) wanted to reduce the availability of cider and therefore made a pact with the devil to send a frost in May to hit the cider-apple blossom (for a bountiful crop of apples there has to be healthy blossom coverage in spring). To avoid this late freeze, the folklore goes that the cidermaker needed to throw the devil off the bridge. Ticket-holders will get a taste of the action via a depiction of the tale performed by the Mummers, as well as pints of quality local cider.
Head cidermaker, Barny Butterfield, says: ‘These long-honoured festivities are part of our cidermaking heritage, particularly in Crediton. We think it’s incredibly important to continue these traditions because they bring the community together and they remind us all of the fragility of the natural world and our reliance on it for food and drink.’
Tickets cost just £10 and can be purchased on the Sandford Orchards website here. See you there!
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