Events and news
Neil from East of England Apples and Orchards Project is coming to Northern Parkland on Saturday 15th July at 11.30am to see how the trees are and to do the first summer pruning of the handful of cherries and plums.
Do come along to see how the trees are doing and watch the pruning.
Bishop’s Stortford Community Orchards Group was hugely disappointed to learn that the Town Council’s testing of the soil on its Jenkins Lane site found elevated levels of lead, making the land unsuitable for use as an orchard.
The Town Council offered to test the site before the group undertook any work to clear the site for the orchard; and this decision was vindicated by the results. The science is uncertain about whether the contamination would affect the fruits, but the Orchards Group and the Town Council both agreed that the proposal for an orchard on the site should not proceed.
The Town Council will now seek advice on how best to manage its land off Jenkins Lane and one option could be to plant woodland. The Town Council will also work
with the Orchards Group to see if alternative sites
can be found to plant fruit trees in and around
the town.
The Town Council’s grant commitment for the
orchard project could still be made available
if an alternative orchard site is found.
Article in the Bishop's Stortford Indpendent.
Ground clearance by grass cutting at Jenkins Lane.
A first step by the Council to keep the site suitable for alternatives, such as woodland.
On the 18th May we visited the Jenkins Lane site to make plans about how to clear the site and where to put the fencing.
Members of the Community Orchard Group, Jill Goldsmith, Andrew Urquhart, Margaret Connell and David Willcocks (East Herts Councillor) meet with Tom Moat (Senior Forestry and Woodland Officer, Essex County Council)
Exciting news...
In April we signed a lease with Bishop’s Stortford Town Council to develop a community orchard at Jenkins Lane. The area is approximately 0.3 hectares and we will be able to plant at least 100 trees.
The Town Council has also awarded us Major Capital Grant funding to kick start the development of the Community Orchard and we are now making plans to clear the site and get the fencing up.
On Sunday 26th March volunteers put more mulch around the trees at Northern Parkland Community Orchard.
Take a look at how the trees are coming along now that spring has sprung.
On the 3rd February 2023 students from Hillmead and Manor Fields Primary Schools helped to put their wonderful artworks on plaques next to the newly planted trees in Northern Parkland Community Orchard. This is just a small selection.
See the gallery for more.
On Sunday 29th January 2023, the recently planted community orchard, had its trees re-firmed and the guards were checked.
The tree plaques were attached in early February and we're hoping to mulch the trees in mid-March, so watch out for upcoming dates.
THE COMMUNITY ORCHARD IN NORTHERN PARKLAND WAS PLANTED IN A DAY THANKS TO ALL THOSE THAT CAME AND HELPED.
Thank you to everyone who came and helped plant the community orchard at Northern Parkland on the 14th January 2023.
We got it all done in one fantastic, if wet, day.
Thirty one trees are in the ground, guarded, watered and mulched with accompanying information boards.
We’re looking forward to seeing them grow and fruit in the years to come.
See the gallery for more photos.
Bishop's Stortford Climate Group hold regular monthly meetings (mostly on the first Tuesday of the month), anyone can attend.
Northern Parkland
Councillor Jonathan Kaye, Executive Member for Communities at East Herts Council, said: “This is a
fantastic project with huge community and environmental benefits that we are pleased to be
supporting through our grants programme. I very much look forward to seeing the transformation at
Northern Parkland as the new trees establish and grow.”
October 2022
David Middlemiss and Andrew Urquhart, of the Community Orchards Group, meet with Rowan Perrin of East Herts Council in Northern Parkland, to look at where the trees will go.