Map shows North Yorkshire cider makers and bike routes

The launch took place at St Lawrence Church, York, on Wednesday as part of the York CAMRA Beer and Cider Festival.

The map is the brainchild of Nick Burrows of Coulton Mill Cider, which is based near Scackleton in the Howardian Hills between Helmsley and York.

Nick says there is an informal group called Howardian Hills Cider, which aims to promote the region’s ciders.

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He told the Press: “I would really like to call it Yorkshire’s Cider Country because of the history.”

Nick continued: “The oldest cider recipe in the world was written at Newburgh Priory near Coxwold in about 1580.

Nick Burrows with the map at the York CAMRA beer and cider festival ai its launch on Wednesday. (Image: Darren Greenwood)

“It’s very accurate. It used spices. York was at the centre of the spice trade in Medieval England. It was controlled by the Merchant Adventurers. The ships would come to Hull and barges would take the spices up the Ouse.”

Coulton Mill produces a mulled cider featuring spices, continuing a tradition of more than 400 years.

Nick says Sir Paul Niele, son of the Archbishop York, a co-founder of the influential Royal Society, wrote the first paper for the organisation in the 1660s and it was about making cider.

Nick was due to give a talk on the subject at the festival on Thursday.

Nick works as a farm conservation officer for the Howardian Hills, helping farms diversify their operations.

Planting orchards, he says, helps the environment as well as providing an extra source of revenue to farms.

Nick continued: “I have been helping them create commercial orchards and working with providers to get the word out on Yorkshire cider.”

“In Scandinavia, cider is known as ‘a Yorkshire drink’.”

“The reason for this is the Vikings first colonised York and were introduced to cider. When the Normandy Vikings recolonised Scandinavia, they took the cider with them.”

The map showing the orchards and the sights of the Howardian Hills (Image: Darren Greenwood)

“Today, we have quite a diversity of cider. I like a cask cider. One I have here today is a rum cask cider from Jamaica.”

Cider is also made at Ampleforth Abbey, there is Thornborough Cider near Bedale, which makes sparkling ciders using the Champagne and Charmat processes.

Orchards of Husthwaite, near York, produce low-alcohol ciders.

Nick explains the map features images of orchards and notable landmarks of the region, including the White Horse of Kilburn, to help people find their way around the region as they cycle from one orchard to another.

He added: “The artist is a York-based artist called Elliott Harrison. He cycled the entire route himself.”

The Howardian Hills Cider and Orchards map can be downloaded at www.howardianhills.org.uk

The York CAMRA Beer and Cider Festival continues at St Lawrence Church, York, today and tomorrow.