The Orchard Group are establishing a “Hay Meadow” in part of the orchard. This page contains a summary of the proposal and links to documents. Fuller details of the project can be found through the navigation menu above.
Summary of the Proposal:
Some areas of grass around the trees will be managed in the manner of a “hay meadow”. The grass will be left to grow during the spring and summer, then mown and the hay removed. Active measures will be taken to introduce flowers and reduce the vigour of the grass. Paths will be mown around the edges and through the meadow area.
Why establish a Hay Meadow?
Our orchard is bereft of colour and wildlife.
Except when the fruit trees blossom, our orchard has no flowers, and so no bees and no butterflies. We can fix this.
By adjusting the management of the small area around the trees in the manner of a “hay meadow”, we can add the colour of wild flowers. The flowers will bring the bees, butterflies and other insects. And these will bring birds as well. Our project is aligned with the local “Pollinating the Peak” initiative run by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust in partnership with the National Trust, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Chatsworth and others, and a long-term collaboration may be possible.
The large closely mown area in the middle, which is the majority of the orchard’s area, will remain unchanged, providing ample area for children’s games and picnics.
The Map
The image below is a map of the development:
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The white lines are the borders of the orchard, bounded by the hedges and footpath.
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The four orange dots on the perimeter show the position of gates from neighbouring properties.
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The yellow-bordered areas on the top edge and in the bottom left corner are the initial meadow areas.
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The blue lines show the position of paths that will be mown from the gates, through the meadow area, and between the meadow area and the hedges.
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The large area in the middle is the existing closely mown area, which will be maintained unchanged.
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The red-bordered area in the bottom right hand corner has not been agreed with the Parish Council as part of the meadow. It could possibly be added, either in the initial scheme or at a later time if the meadow is considered a success. We would like to know whether including or excluding this area changes your opinion on the project.
The Consultation
The Baslow Parish Council, who own the land used by the orchard, ran a consultation on whether to permit the meadow. The pages here contain the proposal. Details can be accessed through the navigation menu above. Two documents were produced:
- The full proposal, available as a pdf file. This contains essentially the same information as this website.
- A single sheet (two-sided) consultation document from the Parish Council, for emailing, and hand delivery to immediate neighbours.