The Vision

What will happen

The orchard is being developed on the amenity area off Over Lane (see the map), and along Over Lane.  The scheme is:

• planting predominantly apple trees with a small number of plum and damson
• aiming to use older and more local varieties to help preserve local and threatened apples
• incorporating a ‘story circle’ for use by the local school and provide an area for other communal activities

The area was originally an open space with sloping sides and the central flat area is used for children’s ball games.  The tree planting has used the sloping areas and a portion of flat land alongside an existing large oak tree – this has preserved the flat area so that children’s play and ball games can continue (see The Plan).

The orchard lends itself to a number of community activities, including apple days, ‘juicing’ events and training days on fruit-tree pruning and grafting.  It should also help bring the community together by involving a number of local organisations and people from across the Baslow and Bubnell areas.

There is an ambition, in time, to develop the concept of an ‘extended’ orchard with tree planting in other suitable areas of the village. A “hay meadow” habitat has been created around the trees.