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THIS OBJECT IS PART OF THE PROJECT 'A HISTORY OF CORNWALL IN 100 OBJECTS'.

DAIRYLAND. Cider was once the staple drink of Cornish farm workers, and orchards were more common than today. This apple mill and horse round came from Pill Farm at Lostwithiel and produced 315 gallons of cider per hour. It was made by John Edgcumbe, an engine maker, of Lostwithiel and cost £50 when new in c.1808. The nearby cider press comes from Penventine, near Fowey.

To make cider, apples were first put into a wooden hopper at the top of the apple mill. Falling onto fluted cast-iron rollers, they were pressed between granite rollers driven by a shaft drive linked to a horse round. The round was donkey or pony-powered; speeds of about2.5 miles per hour could be achieved as they walked round and round. Pulped apple was pressed between cloths in a cider press and the juice fermented in vats or casks.

Photo: Bernie Pettersen