Steyning Community Orchard News

It’s official; Steyning now has two community orchards.

On the 7th April a small group of volunteers, watched by a pair of circling buzzards, gathered together on a fresh, grey morning to celebrate the opening of the new ‘Downland Orchard and Children’s Wild Play Area’. It may have been a little chilly and misty along the ridge of the Downs but there was the smell of Spring in the air and a definite feeling of enthusiasm amongst those gathered round to unveil the new interpretation board welcoming everyone to this special area.

Walk along Mouse Lane on the western edge of Steyning and take the footpath just past Mouse Cottage up towards the Downs and you will find the new orchard. On the left is an old mill pond just visible through the dense hedgerow that lines the path. If you are really lucky you might hear the resident Nightingale pouring its liquid song into the evening air. The orchard lies surrounded by fields at the bottom of the historic Rifle Range in what is known locally as the ‘Big Picnic Field.’

Work started on the new orchard in the winter of 2017 but the project has been in the boiling pot much longer. When Steyning Community Orchard was set up to restore the orchard on the Memorial Playing Field, there were plans to find another suitable area for a second orchard.

The problem was finding a site. The Downland Orchard only became a reality because of the generosity of the Goring Estate who have offered us the use of their land. The Steyning Downland Scheme, which works hard to protect the wildlife of the estate, wanted to create a child friendly wild play area at the base of the Downs. Why not an orchard as well? A partnership between the two groups was formed.

With funding from Steyning Co-Op, work began on this dream. The area was fenced and a mixed hedgerow planted along the outside. Log seating and a wooden xylophone were set up in the play area and on a cold, wet day in February a Willow Dome was planted.

The orchard began in February 2017 when three apple trees were planted; Greensleeves, Idared, and Cheerful Gold.

This year, in spite of wind, rain and snow; yes, we had them all, five new trees were added, Scrumptious, Blenheim Orange, Egremont Russet, Alfriston and Tydeman’s Early Worcester. A wonderful range of apples fruiting over a long period, just ready for anyone to pick.

As a finishing touch a row of fruit trees including crab apples were planted along the west facing fence and pruned to encourage them to form a ‘fruit’ hedgerow.

Next winter the planting will be completed.

In the mean time we hope to use the Downland Orchard to run our children’s ‘orchard sessions’ when we invite play groups, youth groups and schools to join us for activities that encourage young people to take a role in our very special community orchards.