Our Orchard...
Apple orchards have long been a quintessential part of the English landscape, but urban development, the need for more profitable crops and cheaper foreign imports, have led to the loss of two-thirds of apple orchards in Britain since 1970.
Our own orchard has been a little neglected over the last twenty years. In its heyday it used to produce enough apples to be enjoyed by all the farm's workers and families as well as a surplus that were sold. Lambs grazed the pastures beneath the trees and Gloucester Old Spot pigs had a fine job clearing up the windfalls!
The orchard provides a haven for wildlife including bats, woodpeckers and owls to name a few. When you think about it...if you plant a few trees, you are offering an invitation to hundreds of different forms of life. In fact trees provide a unique habitat both above and below the ground. Also, our apples taste fab and are a prized ingredient in our Granola!
With this in mind we are committed to the orchards restoration. Over the years the trees have become very tall and about half the original orchard have 'toppled' in high winds. Chris and our friend Alastair have been hard at work this year clearing fallen trees. This will allow us to 'top' off the grass (on the newly restored 1950's grey Fergie tractor!) and allow our lambs to graze the grass.
The new trees planted in Autumn 2007 are looking really well, a couple have tried to fruit so we've had to slow them down!
Over time we also plan to introduce roosting boxes and this autumn after harvest introduce Gloucester Old Spot pigs to clear the windfalls
the latest ...
March 2008: It has been a busy few weeks in the orchard and we have pruned some of our very old trees to help them keep healthy. Some of these trees are over 50 years old and we are determined to nurse them into their twilight years! In fact the trees are mostly old local varieties and are really delicious so we owe them this attention!
Also, we have planted 24 new trees this weekend which are carefully sourced varieties including, Siddington Russet, Ashmeads Kernel, Blenheim Orange and Hunts Duke of Gloucester.
Loads of birds, bats, bees and smaller insects love our orchard as it provides a rich and varied source of food and shelter. To help them all we have left 'dead wood' piles and plan to introduce owl boxes on our barn close to the orchard.
March 2009: The bat box is up in the orchard and the field shelter bat house restoration is almost complete.
May 2009: Our very own Clyn sheep have arrived and our lovely lambs are making themselves at home in the orchard. They have an important job to do, grazing the grass underneath the trees!
