The Orchards Path

Threatened Orchards

"Dear Common Ground,
I listened with much interest to the radio 4 programme about saving
old orchards. It came at a very poignant moment for me. I grew up in
Trowbridge in Wiltshire where we had a wonderful place to live with two
orchards and a field. We had about 100 trees, mostly apple but also pear
and plum. My parents owned the house from 1947 to 1979 and the trees
were already mature when we moved in. We do not go back to Trowbridge
much now but two weeks ago my sister went there and was appalled to see
that our orchards had completely disappeared. There are no trees left. We
have since learnt that there are plans to build 16 houses on the site.

I felt very sad, and so when I heard the programme I was pleased to
hear that Common Ground supports local people in the fight to keep old
orchards both for the old varieties of fruit and for the habitat they
provide.

With very best wishes,
Jane Hope
" May 2007.

We are receiving more and more requests for help from people embattled by developers and the planning system.

Whilst we can no longer help directly (we no longer have an Orchards Officer) we are gathering arguments and examples here which you may find useful. Do send us more. 

Orchards under Threat

A City orchard: Englishcombe Lane, Bath

Yalberton's Orchards, Devon

Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury, Somerset

Frome, Somerset

Saving & Protecting Traditional Orchards
(Common Ground Orchard Advice Note no. 21. Last updated October 2007)