Volunteers behind the annual Apple Day at Langford Community Orchard in Bicester have raised concerns about the upcoming event on Sunday, October 4, as the amount of fruit available could be lower than usual following months of unusually dry weather.
The concerns come after a summer marked by prolonged hot and dry conditions across Oxfordshire. The Met Office said summer 2026 was on course to be the UK’s hottest on record, while drought conditions affected large parts of southern England.
Langford Community Orchard Apple Day could be squeezed due to a bad harvest caused by one of the hottest and driest summers on record (Image: Langford Community Orchard)
Apple growers say weather extremes can affect fruit size, quality and the overall volume of apples available for harvesting.
While some orchards have benefited from warm conditions, others have reported challenges linked to drought stress and fluctuating weather patterns.
The free event, a community tradition since volunteers began managing the orchard in 2012, will run from 2pm to 4pm at the site on the eastern side of the London Road rail crossing.
Visitors can watch traditional apple pressing, sample freshly made juice and bring along surplus apples from their own gardens to be turned into juice. Cake and plant sales, children’s activities and community stalls are also planned.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding this year’s crop, organisers remain hopeful the event will once again attract families, gardeners and local residents.
With harvest time now under way, they are encouraging people to bring along any surplus fruit they have, helping turn locally grown apples into fresh juice rather than letting them go to waste.
Organisers hope autumn rainfall will improve conditions, but for now the outlook remains uncertain after an exceptionally hot and dry Oxfordshire summer.
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