Events

What’s happening?

The orchard is for the whole community. We need your help to make it a success!

We hold work parties at the orchard, usually on the third Saturday of each month.

Most of these events take place at the orchard site. See the map page for directions.

Check latest news for details of the next work party.

Past Events:

Visit the Gallery page for photographs of these events.

2024

10th February Winter pruning – trees looking ready for Spring !!
17th February Winter pruning along Over Lane and a visit from the Totley Community Orchard Group.

2023

A busy year of working parties, AGM and of course Orchard Day

2022

20th August saw a working party of eight carry out the Summer pruning.
2nd July a small work party thinned out the fruit ready for the Summer pruning at the end of the month.
On 18th June our work party staked two trees, tidied the beds and cut long grass from around the trees.
12th May AGM was held along with a discussion; 10 years on, What next for the Orchard ?

2020

On 14th March our work party pruned the trees.
On 18th January a Stella cherry tree was planted in memory of Malcolm Roper, a founder member of the Orchard Group.

2019

At the work party on 16th November we planted wildflower plugs in the hay meadow area and spread hay rattle seeds.
Apple Day 2019 was on 12th October.
At the work party on 21st September we tidied and cut long grass from around trees.
At the work party on 17th August we did our summer pruning.
At the work party on 13th July we thinned out the crop on some trees, tied in the espaliers and checked for aphids.
At the work party on 18th May 2019 we pruned the plum trees and tidied and weeded the trees on Over Lane.
The Orchard Group AGM was held on Wednesday 15th May. It was followed by a lecture entitled “Pollinating the Peak” which was given by Rhodri Green from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. The lecture was well attended by local people including non-members. It was both amusing and informative.
A Three-Way Orchard visit was held on Sunday 12th May. Members from Baslow, Tideswell and Bradwell Orchards visited all three sites to see how each orchard was progressing.
At the work party on 27th April 2019 the trees on Over Lane were tidied and weeded.
On Saturday 23rd February we carried out winter pruning and planted 350 wild flower plugs.
There will be no work party in January.

2018

On Saturday 15 December we replaced a diseased apple tree (James Grieve) with a Maltster variety that we had grafted ourselves.
On Saturday November 17 we planted about 60 oxeye daisy plugs and scattered yellow rattle seeds, both hopefully part of the forthcoming “hay meadow”.
Apple Day was on Saturday October 6. See the Apple Day page for details.
On Saturday September 15 we did a little weeding, loosened tree ties and collected some apples in advance of Apple Day.
We made “hay” in August and took 5 builders bags off-site to feed cattle.
On Saturday July 21 we did the summer pruning, weeded on Over Lane, and watered some of the trees.
Saturday June 16 we thinned the apples and tied in the espaliers.
On Saturday May 19 we weeded trees on over lane and planted spem wild flowers in the grass around the trees.
On Sunday May 13 a small group of people from the three community orchards at Baslow, Tideswell and Bradford traveled as a group to all three orchards to see each other’s work. Very enjoyable, and great blossom.

2017

On December 16 we weeded and tidied, and fixed and adjusted stakes and ties.
Apple Day this year was on October 14. See the Apple Day web page for details.
On September 23 we weeded and tidied.
On August 19 we weeded and tidied. On the following day we held a grafting workshop, to learn the t-budding technique. We grafted onto the rootstock on which the spring grafting has not taken.
On July 15 we weeded and tidied, and trained the espaliers.
On June 17 we thinned fruit, managed aphids and weeded.
On May 20 we weeded and tidied.
“A Bite of the Apple” is the name of a talk that Baslow’s acclaimed, Michelin-starred chef, Max Fischer, gave on 27 April at our AGM.
On 22 April we weeded and added mulch to the trees.
On the weekend of 18 and 19 of March we pruned the trees, and grafted a further batch of trees using the pruned material.
We planted new trees on Over Lane on 21 January.

2016

Weeded on Saturday 19 November.
Apple Day on Saturday 21 October 2016 was the best ever! See the Apple Day page for details.
Prepared 9 holes for new apple trees along Over Lane, on Saturday 17 September.
Pruned trees on Saturday August 27.
Thinned fruit and weeded. Visited the grafted trees, on Saturday June 18.
Weeded and tidied, and admired the spring blossom on Saturday May 21.
Weeded and tidied on Saturday April 16.
New trees arrived and were planted on Saturday March 12 at 10am. We also pruned the existing trees.
The next day, Sunday March 13 we held a grafting workshop, which was an opportunity for us to learn this old skill. We grafted cuttings from the previous day onto bare rootstock, then planted these to leave for another year.

2015

The Apple Day was on October 10 – see photos .
Saturday September 19 – weeded and tidied and sampled the apples!
Saturday July 2015 –
Saturday May 20 – weeded and tidied. Watered trees
Saturday April 18 – weeded and tidied. Watered trees.
Saturday March 21 – trained espaliers and mulched trees.
Saturday February 21 – pruned the trees and added mulch.

2014

Saturday December 6: Planting the new trees along Over Lane.
Apple Day – Saturday October 18 – visit the Apple Day page for photos!
Saturday, August 2. Work party to do some pruning and start training the espalier trees.
Treasure Hunt and BBQ on 18 June. This went off very well.
Work party on June 21.
24 May. Public meeting and AGM. We heard a talk from Mike Crompton of the Hayfield Community Orchard who spoke about “The Orchard in our Village”
17 May. Work party to weed, tidy, fertilise, water and control aphids.
22 February. We weeded the trees, cut the edges, mulched the trees and did any necessary pruning.
January 18. Planted the espalier apples, around the story circle and the bench.

2013

November 16 at 10am – prepared holes for the espaliers around the story circle and bench.
Apple Day 2013 – a great day!
June – we installed the Story Circle – a pleasant place to sit and enjoy the orchard.
Saturday 9th March – we pruned the trees to establish their structure and future shape.

2012

Saturday December 8 at 10am – we planted most of the trees.
Saturday 10th November – we held our first work party. We had an excellent turn-out and prepared most of the holes for the trees.
Saturday 24th November – our second work party completed the preparation of the holes and removed a skip fill of stones.
Thursday 29th November – 10.45 am. Official opening and tree planting by the Duke of Devonshire. With children from St Anne’s School, and an award of a small prize to the winner of the website logo design contest!