No apples at Hughenden Manor

This means the National Trust property cannot go ahead with it's annual weekend of apple days in October.

General manager, Jim Foy, said: "One of the coldest, wettest summers on record has had a catastrophic effect on this year’s apple crop at Hughenden Manor.

"The historic apple orchard which is normally heaving with a wide variety of apples in September has produced virtually no apples this year and so we have decided we can’t go ahead with Hughenden’s annual weekend of Apple Days in October."

As a result they have decided to replace it with a Wild Weekend when families are invited to shed their inhibitions, reignite their sense of adventure and get closer to nature.

Earlier this year the National Trust launched a campaign called "50 things to do before you’re 11 and three-quarters" which challenged youngsters to embark on a programme of outdoor fun and nature-related activities. The campaign is in response to claims that too much time spent indoors is producing a new condition in children called Nature Deficit Disorder.

During the Wild Weekend families can join in a host of free activities from den-building and orienteering, to rolling down a big hill or flying a kite.

And for apple lovers visitors can still see the orchard and find out about the remarkable variety of apples that Hughenden normally produces. Wild Weekend at Hughenden takes places on October 13 and 14.

All activities free after normal admission. Entry for National Trust members is free. For further information please call Hughenden Estate Office on 01494 755573 or see: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hughenden