TOP ORCHARDS
CALVERTON
Rear of
Increasingly
derelict orchard comprising 2 groups totalling about 40 apple,
and a few ex-espaliered pear in deserted walled garden. Apple varieties
include: Annie Elizabeth and Wealthy, pear: Marie Louise and Williams Bon Chretien. Access: public footpaths including Calverton
Circular Walk.
STONY
Cofferidge Close
Former market
garden/paddock turned local shopping centre, with 10+ apple, a few pear (some espaliered), hazel and walnut, in a mix of
remnant and new planting. Access: in and around public car parking.
OLD WOLVERTON
Manor Farm
deserted medieval village site
Solitary crab
(possibly cider) apple: hollow, split and lost crown, but one of few trees in
MK classified as ‘Ancient’ by Woodland Trust. Access: footpath off ex-farm
drive with entrance near canal bridge car park
WOLVERTON
Wolverton Community Orchard
Old
allotment site comprising 30+ trees in mix of apple, pear, cherry, plum,
damson, mulberry etc. Recently planted by local people with support of Wolverton and Greenleys Town
Council. One of
several local foci promoting ‘urban agriculture’. Some nearby Victorian
terraced houses retain original fruit trees eg Red
Robin pear. Access: footpath to rear of
15
apple trees in secluded area of
NEW BRADWELL
Fruit and Nut
Walk
Recently planted
collection of soft fruits, 250 hazel, 20 plum, 10 damson,15
cherry etc around circumference of Drill Hall allotments on MK Parks Trust
parkland. Access: drive/footpath/redway off
GREAT LINFORD
Several sites in
vicinity of park include Old Rectory derelict apple/pear orchard (private), and
more recent public apple and pear planting to rear of Artswork’s
barn together with 15 apple along bridleway bordering
Hanson Centre
Wildlife Centre
50
Bird Cherry on western boundary of reserve near derelict St Peter’s Church. Good eaters. Access: footpath from New Bradwell or Black Horse canal bridges
The town’s many
large orchards have been drastically reduced by building development since the
1950’s, and garden orchards continue to be lost, including, very recently, large
numbers of Edwardian trees to rear of Wolverton Road.
Only a few remnants remain, for example
WILLEN
Little known
orchard comprising 20 mature apple in MK Parks Trust
meadow adjacent to St Mary Magdalene Church. Access: road/footpath/redway off Milton Road/Newport Road/North Willen Park
New 1.3 acre site,
at junction of H4/V9 and accessed from Loriner Place,
previously used as a smallholding, is being considered for development as a
community orchard, with planning and design, commencing 2009, by Great Linford Parish Council in conjunction with local community.
Old village has
many farm/cottage orchard remnants, together with
WOUGHTON ON THE
GREEN
Community Orchard
380 apple and 40 cherry planted in mid-70’s and now managed by
MK Parks Trust for the community. Varieties include Buckinghamshire’s very own
dessert apple Cox’s Orange Pippin and its cooker Arthur Turner, together with Bramley’s Seedling, Worcester Pearmain,
and from nearby Bedford, Laxton’s Fortune. Cherries
comprise
Linear Orchard,
Waterside
Approximately
125 trees in two rows to rear of Waterside. Mainly dessert apples, with several Bramley (at the ends), a few pear and some lost trees
replaced by Calley Pears. Due to be
thinned and restored by MK Council Landscape Services working with local
community early 2009.
SIMPSON
Several large farmhouse orchards lost to development
with a few trees remaining, in particular on a series of small greens along
WALNUT TREE
23 walnut modern
landscaped planting scheme, with other minor examples
across grid-square, reflecting older trees associated with Walnut Tree Farm and
Walton Manor. Also pre-let allotment planting of 30 apple
at
WALTON HALL
OU Campus
Very
old (propped) mulberry on lawn adjacent to Refectory together with greengage,
both excellent fruiters.
Also pear espaliers, apple and medlars in remains of
Hall’s walled garden. Aylesbury Prune by pond. Walnuts in St Michael’s Church. Access: semi-private.
WAVENDON
St Mary’s Close/The Green
Remnant orchard
associated with long-demolished Villa, comprising 1 large apple, 3 pear and a listed, listing mulberry. Access: public highway
off Walton End
Edgewick Farm Open Space
Community orchard
comprising 18 trees on Woburn Sands Town Council land managed by volunteers,
planted late 90’s. Access:
BOW BRICKHILL
Sweet chestnuts
scattered on northern edge of Brickhill Woods, some
bearing sizable nuts. Access: footpaths/bridleways throughout woods.
Pre-let but
windblown planting of approximately 20 apple. Access:
road/footpath
CALDECOTTE
Solitary ancient
pear, hollow with lost crown, in centre of deserted medieval village site.
Access: footpath off Monellan Grove/Caldecotte Lanei
FENNY
Fenny
Recently planted
and formally designed orchard comprising 50 apple, 8 crab apple, and 42 cherry
funded by Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council. Fenced and with circular
footpath and seats. Apple varieties include Blenheim Orange, Charles Ross,
Discovery, Greensleeves, Grenadier, James Grieve, Laxton’s Fortune, Lord Lambourne,
and Winstone. Older apple trees line approach drive.
Access:
SNELSHALL
Roadside planting
of 100+ varied dessert apple on V1 corner of Water Spinney Wood. Access:
road/footpath/redway
TATTENHOE
MK
Council-managed planting of 75 varied dessert apple at
SHENLEY LODGE
20+
apple and others by pond adjacent to Old Beams pub. Access: road/footpath
SHENLEY CHURCH
END
Remnant orchard
between to St Mary’s Church and playing field with very large pear and 5 apple. Also 10 damson at Shenley Toot, 10 apple in hedge at Sheppards
Green. Access: road/footpath
GREAT HOLM
McIntyre Project
85 apple planted in mixed use (part-productive/part-decorative)
hedge along project’s boundary with H5. Access: semi-private, visible from road
verge
LOUGHTON
Church Farm
Picturesque
pear against farmhouse by All Saints’ Church. Access: private but visible from
COFFEE HALL
Robins Hill redway
Planting line of
approximately 25 apple and 30 pear cutting across
whole estate. Large walnut by Christ the Vine church.
Access: road/footpath/redway
CMK
Scattered amenity
planting includes apple and pear to front of Christ the Cornerstone Church,
Saxon Gate and to south of Theatre District, on Lower Twelfth Street
LINFORD WOOD
Majestic
row of 9 remnant apple, presumably Bramley, on
footpath off
BRADWELL
Copse of 40 damson, presumably spread as a clone, in corner recreation
ground at
TWO MILE ASH
Stone Hill
allotments
Well-designed
pre-planted allotments now mature and fully let with tenants obliged to
maintain formal layout and share fruit. Recent supplementary
self-help planting. Access: private, but view through gate off Stone
Hill
KILN FARM
Remnant farmhouse
orchard now part of Sikh temple site. 3 pear, 2 apple,
3 cherry plum and 1 large walnut. Also plum clone temptingly overhangs redway. Access: private but visible from Watling Street/footpath/redway
WESTERN EXPANSION
AREA
New
expansion area engulfing 3+ farms, all of which have associated farmhouse
orchards, but in various stages of neglect. One, Whitehouse Farm, has largest pear in MK (2.2m
girth) in what was largest orchard in pre-MK landscape. Developers have adopted
Fruit Tree Policy with retention of some trees, and mitigation/enhancement
planting elsewhere. Possible grafting of felled trees being considered, and
transfer to part of large community garden to maintain succession. Local varieties also to be investigated. Access: the future.
Mel Jones
December 2008