The history of Thatchers

PUBLISHED: 10:57 05 June 2015 | UPDATED: 10:57 05 June 2015

From wintery scenes, the freshness of a spring morning, through to the golden glow of autumn, the beauty of the Somerset landscape is captured through Neil Phillips camera lens

Neil Phillips Photography

Four generations of cider making has been put into words and pictures

The Thatcher family started making cider at Myrtle Farm in 1904. Here, a shot from the family album shows Martin (centre) with his younger brother Robert, together with their grandfather Stan

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Somerset cider maker Thatchers has been producing cider at

its mill in Sandford since 1904. With a wealth of beautiful photos and a social history that paints its own picture of living and working in Somerset over the years, Thatchers has recorded it

all for future generations to remember by publishing its first book.

Called Thatchers Then & Now and published by Bristol Books, author James Russell traces the history of Thatchers cidermaking from early beginnings to the present day. Enhanced by the work of locally-based photographer Neil Phillips, the book is a true reflection of the orchard and cidermaking year.

Martin Thatcher, fourth generation of

the Somerset family says: “We love our heritage as much as we love our cider – both are deeply rooted in Somerset.

Over the past few years we’ve been able

to unearth some fascinating insight into previous generations of the Thatcher family, and what life was like as a

Somerset farmer.

“Thanks to the research of author

James Russell, and local historian Maria Forbes, we’ve been able to gather all this fascinating information together to create

a social history of cider making in Somerset.”