Gloucestershire Orchard Group

Orchard protection in the planning system – advice leaflet and two test cases

• Tree Evaluation Method for Preservation Orders - Tree evaluation forms and test case
• Planning issues leaflet
• Brockworth Orchard TPO application
• Perry Pear Orchard saved from development

Blossom Day 2010 Brookthorpe, near Gloucester

Perry Pear in Blossom, Kennel Lane, Brockworth; "Thorn" variety

The National Orchard Forum is a voluntary umbrella organization which represents the 20-30 heritage orchard groups, exchanging relevant information between them and raising awareness of national orchard issues. It also helps to set up orchard groups in parts of the UK where none may exist.

See http://www.nat-orchard-forum.org.uk

The Gloucestershire Orchard Group is now Lead Partner for traditional orchards within the Gloucestershire Biodiversity Partnership (2009 onwards).

This will be Common Ground's last year of promoting Apple Day. As it reaches its 21st anniversary on October 21st we feel it the appropriate time to leave it in the good hands of everyone who has worked to help to make it successful locally and continue to work to establish it as a calendar custom. We have had a few offers, would welcome more and would like to spend some time thinking about the best way to create a future for the national Apple Day Events List after 2010. The Community Orchards Directory is out of date every day now - so much is happening. We have much information we have not been able to put on the Common Ground website and many Community Orchards are arising spontaneously. But we do feel that as comprehensive as possible a gazetteer helps others to be in touch with nearby activities, strengthening the weave. We have striven to nourish many strands so that the loss of one or two, or changing fortunes, or 'shifting fashions' in funding, or powerful interests do not bring down the good work that so many of you are doing. We wanted to create a weft and warp well enough woven by different interests, large and small, local, regional and national, professional and amateur, community and agency to develop its own robustness to keep on going. We have worked to pass many orchard batons to many people, and novel ones have arisen.

There are a variety of initiatives we shall continue to support for example Learning through Landscapes and Garden Organic - Fruit Full Schools project - to create school orchards which will run over the next 4 years starting with secondary and moving onto primary schools, broadening the number of school orchards manyfold.

Any thoughts on how we can give the Apple Day Events List and aspects of the Orchards Gazetteer a life after this autumn would be most welcome. Please drop us a line to office@commonground.org.uk
Common Ground, +44(0)1747 850820
http://www.england-in-particular.info local distinctiveness
http://www.commonground.org.uk archive, arts and Apple Day
Sue Clifford & Angela King, founded National Apple Day and Community Orchards (thanks also to Kate O'Farrell)

Photos include GOG chairman Dave Kaspar giving a fascinating introduction to Forest Gardening (a site can be seen at his Orchard Centre at Brookthorpe, near Gloucester) and Charles Martell presenting an update on his Gloucestershire apple varieties descriptions.
AGM was held on Tuesday 22 February 2010 at Gloucester Docks (North Warehouse)

Photos copyright Juliet Bailey

Monday 22 February 2010 6-9pm
We need to vacate the building shortly after 9pm, so please try to be prompt.
Venue: as last year, although the room has changed to Committee rooms one and two (cojoined).
Gloucester City Council, North Warehouse, The Docks, Gloucester GL1 2EP
The AGM is free to members and £2 to non-members (waived if you join on the night).


Directions & Parking:
From Northern bypass (A40) take brown heritage signage to 'Gloucester Docks'. As you drive along the Quay (the River Severn is on your right), North Warehouse (an old Victorian 3 storey building) will be facing you. As you go left around the bend turn first right and immediately right into the car park in front of the building.

From south, leave M5 at Junction 12 for A38. At traffic lights, straight over onto A430 (Gloucester South West Bypass) to junction with A417, where turn right at traffic lights. After crossing River Severn take right lane and turn right into the Quay, then as above.

Parking is free but a little limited so try and car share.
Many thanks to Meyrick Brentnall of Gloucester City Council for booking the venue.

Please use this as the agenda on the night to save paper resources:

Welcome/Apologies
Chairman’s Report – Dave Kaspar (brief)
Treasurer’s Report – Paul Bloomer (brief)
Election of Officers (Chairman and Treasurer) (brief)
Charitable status update Jim Chapman/Dave (brief)
Charles Martell may give a brief update on his Gloucestershire fruit research
Question time/AOB
Speakers: Dave Kaspar and Helen Brent-Smith will talk on Introduction to Forest Gardening

• We hope to have a representative of Natural England, who can advise on the Environmental Stewardship grant Scheme. You should also have a chance to speak with chairman Dave Kaspar and Helen Brent-Smith about their museum orchard of Gloucestershire varieties, organic juicing business and Orchard & Rural Skills Centre! Jim Chapman will be on hand to discuss his new Perry Pear Centre (Hartpury) and cider & perry making courses (Peter Mitchell). We also welcome a representative from our friends at South Gloucestershire who can talk informally with anyone who wishes to learn more about their exciting project “Forgotten Fruit – Craft Cider”. In collaboration with South Gloucestershire Council, Neil Phillips (of Neil Phillips Photography), John Morris, Richard Aston, Graham White (Mr Fruit) and Sally Pattison have been making cider from local fruit which would otherwise go to waste. Come and chat (and taste!) with one of them about this important project, and ask about the amateur cider making process.

• There may be apple tastings again with Juliet Bailey

• Possibly some trees for sale

Do come along and meet us. You will be very welcome!

We particularly welcome your produce, which you may sell on the night – eg. juice, cider, perry, cheeses, stationery…

Refreshments:
There will be light refreshments, but as it is an early prompt start, feel free to bring your own sandwiches.

GOG library and extensive literature:
This is a chance to browse our extensive library and literature.
Please return any borrowed books this evening so that others may use them.

Traditional Orchard Project Data Online (7/12/09 update)

The People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is producing the traditional orchard inventory on behalf of Natural England to support the traditional orchard Habitat Action Plan. The inventory will complement other habitat inventories available through the Natural England website. It is being produced to national inventory standards agreed with Natural England and is now available to download for free via the Natural England publications download page and via the MAGIC website.

This digital inventory is based on combining existing survey data with aerial photograph interpretation mapping together with ground-truthing survey work by local volunteers. As well as the GIS data set and an excel spreadsheet, the background documents outlining how the data is gathered and displayed are also available to download.

Whilst aerial photograph interpretation has been shown to be one of the most useful sources of information for identifying traditional orchards, inaccuracies and omissions will still occur. Consequently local knowledge and ground-truthing are vital components in making this inventory an accurate and robust data set. So far over 200 dedicated volunteers have been involved in the project and their support and hard work is much appreciated.

The ground truthing work is ongoing. Volunteer surveyors not only confirm the presence of a traditional orchard but collect additional survey data that is entered into the database and used to produce a condition category for each orchard. The survey methodology is being used across the country to ensure consistency so if you are if you are currently running or planning an orchard project in your area or know of a volunteer group who would be interested in participating in the ground-truthing work, then please let me know as I would be happy to discuss how we can work together to maximise efficiency and reduce duplication of effort.

I must stress that the inventory is still in progress and is yet to be completed for all counties of England. If you have any local knowledge that you could share with us to improve the accuracy of the inventory in your local area, we would be very grateful to receive it.

The data set will continue to be updated regularly as new information comes to us from volunteers, orchard owners, orchard groups, record centres etc. The project will continue until March 2011.

Please visit the orchard pages on our website http://www.ptes.org/orchards and for further information please do not hesitate to contact Anita Burrough anita@ptes.org.

Anita Burrough, Orchard Project Officer, People's Trust for Endangered Species, 15 Cloisters House, 8 Battersea Park Road, London SW8 4BG 020 7498 4533 http://www.ptes.org

To log an orchard contact us to obtain a PTES survey form.

For wassail contacts see the directories page.