As part of our mission to conserve and celebrate traditional orchards in Gloucestershire, we work with orchard owners throughout the county. Some of these relationships are longstanding, others more recent, some relationships are ongoing, others ad hoc, but taken together they’re a demonstration of our commitment and contribution to the conservation of the county’s orchards.
Over the past couple of years we have planted over 750 fruit trees in the county, either new trees in old orchards to ensure continuity, or creating new orchards which will, in time, restore our landscape and become a jigsaw of biodiverse habitats.
If you own an orchard and are interested in its future then please get in touch to see how we man be able to help – with new trees, with advice, or in pointing you in the right direction of an orchard expert who may be able to help you.
Involvement Across the County
Over the past few years the Trust has planted over 800 fruit trees, many of them rare Gloucestershire apple varieties, in both old and new orchards. This was done with the assistance of grants from the Gloucestershire County Council and the Cotswold National Landscape. With some of these orchards, for example Adam Henson’s orchards near Winchcombe and with the National Trust at Ebworth, the Trust has an ongoing involvement, where we run workshops and courses and help to maintain the orchard; in others, the relationship is more ad hoc. Either way, the important thing is that orchards are cared for and their biodiversity value is maintained or enhanced.
PARTNERSHIPS
Hartpury
Hartpury is home of the National Perry Pear Collection, which is very appropriate as the name ‘Hartpury’ is derived from the Saxon word ‘hardepirige’ meaning a hard pear, like the perry pear. There is a perry pear called Hartpury Green, recorded as early as 1662.
The national collection is owned and managed by the Hartpury Heritage Trust (HHT), with which the Gloucestershire Orchard Trust has had close links for a number of years, most particularly through our friendship with Jim Chapman, our former Chair and Treasurer, who established the perry pear collection at Hartpury and who is still active within the HHT.
In addition to the more than 100 varieties of perry pear, the orchards at Hartpury are also home to a collection of Gloucestershire apples and plums, all planted since 2006. They are set in 30 acres of orchard and wetland, always open for the public to enjoy. The orchard are grazed through the summer by Ryeland sheep and Gloucester cattle – so well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome, provided the livestock and wildlife are not disturbed.
PARTNERSHIPS
Schools
The Trust is building a relationship with a number of schools across the county. We have a longstanding arrangement with The Shrubberies School and the Apperley Centre, which cater for children and young people with special educational needs. Pupils from these schools visit our orchards at Longney on a weekly basis, during term-time.
The Trust has built a link with The National Star college, at Ullenwood, near Cheltenham, another establishment dedicated to providing learning for young adults with special educational needs. The Trust organised a tree planting session at the college’s orchard, donated the fruit trees, arranged a pruning session in the orchard and continues to help the college develop their orchard.
The Ecology Club at Bourneside School in Cheltenham has recently planted over 30 trees in a corner of their playing field that is being transformed into a wildlife haven. Members of the Trust showed pupils how to plant, stake and guard the trees and the Trust donated the trees to the school.