SANDFORD Orchards is set to hold a special event to celebrate an old cider-making tradition in Crediton on Saturday, May 18. 

The evening will see a re-enactment of Franklin’s Night, a tale about a brewer called Franklin who made a pact with the devil to send a frost in May to blight the cider apple blossom. 

To get a bountiful crop of apples, there must be a healthy amount of blossom in the spring.  

To avoid this late freeze, so the story goes, a cider maker had to throw the devil off a bridge. 

Franklin’s Night has been celebrated through the centuries and Sandford Orchards is keen to continue the tradition.  

Sandford Orchards owner Barny Butterfield said: “We’re hoping the crowds will turn out for a little bit of local history, washed down with some fabulous local cider.” 

Tickets cost £10 and are available to buy online here: https://www.sandfordorchards.co.uk/events/franklins-night/.