Newquay’s community garden took part in an ancient custom on Saturday to inspire a good harvest for the coming year.

Newquay Orchard held its annual Wassail, which coincided with the community project’s eighth birthday.

Nearly 300 people joined staff and volunteers to take part in the pagan ritual which acts as a blessing of the Orchard’s apple trees to ward off evil spirits through banging, crashing and music.

Visitors formed a procession through the Orchard to the “Wassail tree”, which is adorned with toast and soaked in cider.

Although the Wassail is a staple event in the Orchard’s calendar, this year was larger in scale, with the addition of live music from the Raffidy Dumitz Band from Penzance and Newquay’s own a capella male chorus group, Oll an Gwella.

Guests were also treated to original story-telling from Orchard member Sam Crosby, who runs his community organisation Recalling Fire from Newquay Orchard.

There were also treats available in the form of mulled drinks from the Atlantic Brewing Company and cakes from Kernow Fornya, as well as home-made soup and hot drinks from the Orchard’s new café, Heart & Soul.

Hetty Ninnis, the sustainable landscapes manager and “Wassail Queen” said of the event: “This was, with no exaggeration, the biggest and best Wassail yet. It was so great to see so many people join us and take part in the costumes, the noise-making and the song.”