Around 450 trees to be planted in new Orchard

Around 450 trees are to be planted to create a community Orchard and the first new commercial Orchard in Hertfordshire for decades. Since the 1950’s, more than 60 per cent of Orchards in England have vanished – largely down to housing or industrial developments taking over.

Norton Grange Orchard, in fields off Croft Lane, in the Garden City, is the brainchild of the town’s Heritage Foundation and last Thursday, 30 pupils from Norton St Nicholas School, Norton, helped Stuart Kenny, the Foundation’s Director General and Natural England’s Andrew Mills with tree planting.

The Orchard – which had the backing of nearby residents – will be divided into two areas. The smaller Community Orchard will consist of traditional local Hertfordshire varieties of apple, pear, plum and gage, with the community able to pick the fruit for themselves. The larger Commercial Orchard will be planted with apple varieties suitable for producing apple juice and cider on a commercial basis.

Part of the Community Orchard will include a wild flower meadow to encourage biodiversity and provide a habitat for birds, butterflies and other fauna.

As the fields are already part of Natural England’s recent Higher Level Stewardship recent grant to the Foundation of £956,000, to help maintain and improve the town’s rural habitat, the initial project cost for the Orchard is significantly lower than it would have been, but the Foundation will have to fund part of the ongoing management and maintenance of trees

In his  speech on Thursday, Mr Kenny, to mark the planting of the Community Orchard, thanked Natural England  for its support of the project and added that he had made a public pledge years ago that these fields would not be developed for housing.

 “The new Orchards”, he added, “ re-inforced and endorsed that pledge at a time when the Green Belt was under increasing threat from housing development.”

Andrew Mills, Adviser for Natural England, said: “Creating an Orchard like this, means Hertfordshire’s history of fruit production is retained, particularly by planting local varieties. The traditional style ensures biodiversity, a genetic resource for the future and a legacy that benefits wildlife and the residents of Letchworth Garden City.”

Mick James of Norton Community Archaeology Group, gave an insight into the archaeological work being carried in fields nearby.