Coronation celebrations amongst North Devon’s unique fruit trees with a royal connection

A Coronation event in the village of Landkey will be celebrating a royal link to the Mazzard cherry which history reports was enjoyed by King Charles II in a pie on a visit to North Devon.

The free family event on Monday, May 8, from 2pm – 5pm, to celebrate The King’s Coronation, will take place on Landkey’s Millennium Green amongst the unique Mazzard Orchard.

As well as stalls, activities and refreshments, special Mazzard Pies will be available to try, as the last King Charles (then the Prince of Wales) did on a visit to Barnstaple in 1645.

Michael Gee, Landkey resident, one of the event organisers and local author, explained: “A diary kept by Lady Fanshawe in 1645 details how Prince Charles, as he was then, came to Barnstaple in the summer and stayed in a house with Mrs Beaple, widow of the Mayor of the town. They travelled locally and visited Tawstock Court where they enjoyed mazzard pie.

“When planning a coronation celebration for King Charles III on the Landkey Millennium Green it seemed appropriate to look back to the visit of the last King Charles (as Prince of Wales) to North Devon and his links with mazzards. We don’t know whether Charles visited Landkey to see the trees, but as his hostess, Mrs Beaple, had been married in Landkey Parish Church, she’d have known the village. So, let’s suppose he visited…”

Liz Davis, Landkey resident and one of the event organisers, said: “Everyone is welcome to our special Coronation event. As well as stalls there are activities for children including a Best Crown Competition with £25 prize money, pebble painting, a treasure hunt, making a time capsule as well as many other games. Alongside the Mazzard Pies, we have refreshments from local Green Man Cider, Thin Nick’s Pizza and Cream Teas and cakes in the village hall.”

As part of the village’s coronation celebrations, Michael has arranged for children's writer, Andrew Mullligan to visit Landkey Primary School on Friday, April 28, to encourage Year 5 students to write a story about a surprise visit of King Charles III to Landkey to see the Mazzard trees. It is hoped these stories will be published in a booklet as a Coronation souvenir.

Mazzards are small, sweet black cherries that once grew widely across the British Isles. However, due to difficulties and cost in harvesting the small fruit from the tall trees, they were gradually replaced by bigger red cherries.

“By the middle of the Twentieth Century there were few mazzard orchards left,” added Michael. “In the 1990s the ‘Save our Orchards’ campaign worked with the people of Landkey, and particularly parish chairman Dick Joy to re-establish a Mazzard Orchard, and one was planted on the new Millennium Green in December 1999. There are now sixty large trees which look magnificent in blossom, and which bear a healthy crop of fruit.”

For more information on the event, please visit: www.landkeyvillage.com