The concept of a Community Orchard started in March 2025. Firstly a piece of land was required. The Father of Sally Williams, from Westfield Farm, very generously gifted a suitable plot to the West of Cheriton Village. Dan Pulling, of DP Garden Designs, created the design and planting schedule. The concept was a mix of eating and cooking fruit and nut trees. The varieties chosen were those that lengthened the season from early to late, with, in particular, apples and pears from the same pollinator groups. Choices were RHS recommendations that are hardy and disease resistant. Dwarf root stocks were used in order to manage the size of the orchard and to facilitate picking. At the top of the hill are walnut and hazelnut as feature trees together with, on the lower parts, Discovery, Jonagold and Cox’s Orange Pippin for the apples and Conference and Concorde pears and finally Czar, River’s Early and Opal plums.
They were planted, with stakes and deer protection on the 22nd and 27th of March. The 30th May saw the bench installed.
Yesterday saw the official opening of the orchard with the Blessing of the Trees by the Bishop of Winchester, The Right Rev. Philip Mounstephen.
Although the weather was a heavy overcast day, the rain stayed away at the right time to allow an enjoyable event to happen. Present were the Volunteer Group with the designer and land provider, the Williams family. The Village Schools presented their artwork as well as celebrating their hard working contributions to the orchard.
Here are a few images of the occasion:
The various contributors are:
Cheriton Schools whose pupils gave valuable support in planting the trees.
Hampshire Forestry Partnership generously provided the trees
Dan Pulling who masterminded the horticultural aspects.
The Cheriton Conservation Volunteer Group provided the organising thread and coordination of the entire project
…. and last, but certainly not least, the Williams family without whose generous gift the orchard would not have happened.