The First Planting at Brownings Orchard !
On this chilly Saturday at the end of March a dozen intrepid souls of varying ages but equal commitment, trudge through mud to a patch of bare land behind the Kings Head public house.
The brambles, nettles and other over-growth have been cleared by previous work parties, and some ground-work has been done to define the access and install the gates, but now is the time to plant actual trees!
Previous attempts have been abandoned thanks to snow, ice and Siberian winds – but this intrepid work party are determined to ‘break ground’ (however muddy!) and get Browning’s Orchard off to a good start……
- Starting off 2. Making a post hole
3. Thumping in a post 4. tree planted with post and guard
Trees, posts and mesh guards are funded by part of a £5000 grant from Gloucestershire Environmental Trust, which has already paid for our gates and clearing our hedges.
Many of the trees to be planted in Brownings are from grafts which members have created from the the group’s established trees and ‘brought on’ in the nursery beds in Coneygree Orchard. These include a selection of the rare, traditional Gloucestershire varieties that will eventually characterize all the planting in Brownings Orchard. It will take several seasons to plant the whole of the new orchard, as more grafted trees becomes of age, and other old Gloucester varieties are tracked down (and so a bit more of the ‘gene pool’ will be saved!).
Brownings is the second area of land to be acquired by the Eastington Community Orchards (ECO) group – a local organisation run by volunteers, whose aim is to create and maintain orchards within the parish for the purposes of growing fruit for the common benefit. Our first orchard, Coneygree, is near the church (just above the graveyard). It was first planted in 2011 and is progressing well. The orchard provides a tranquil place for all visitors and is accessible to wheelchair users.
Entry to the Brownings Orchard is via the lane to the right of the Kings Head. Over the coming months public access will be improved. Please go and take a look, and maybe come along and get involved!
For more information about ECO please see our new website eco.eastington.website and our Facebook page.
To get involved please make sure you are on our email list – contact us via Facebook, Via the website or email:-
Julian Plested
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