Putting apple trees back into Appletree!

On a mild Friday in early December, 20 volunteers planted a variety of fruit trees on Eyes Meadow to initiate what they hope will become Duffield's first Community Orchard of the modern era.

Local primary school children, togged out in wellies and gloves, pulled back turf and helped adults (including officers and members of the Parish Council which had financed the project) dig in and stake the 15 trees.

In the Domesday Book, "Duffield Appletree" was one of Derby's five administrative districts and local Anglo-Saxon chiefs would have heard petitions and dispensed justice under the shade of an apple tree. So, history is on our side, but our aim is firmly on the future.

The Community Orchard is part of the PC's Village Action Plan to enhance the environment and encourage biodiversity in our area. We also want to play our part in the wider region. We were given advice and material assistance by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, whose officer, George Jones, has offered to run a pruning session in our orchard next autumn.

We really hope that future generations will enjoy the benefits of our orchard and that the children and grandchildren of those youngsters who helped put in the trees will be picking fruit and enjoying its tranquillity. A mature orchard is one of the most biodiverse environments we can create and can become the home of insects, birds, mammals, amphibians, plants and fungi.

The DCA have undertaken to plant native English daffodils around the trees, and we hope wildflowers and plants will flourish in their shade. Footpaths will be mown to give easy access for all, and we hope to see the earliest fruits appear in 2 or 3 years.

For those who like the details, the planted trees are: eating apples- Braeburn (1); Cox's Orange Pippin (2); cooking apples – Lord Derby (1); Bramley (1); plums – Opal (2); Haganta (1); pears – Concorde (2); Conference (1); damson – Farleigh (2); Merryweather (1); crab apple – Jelly King (1).

They are there for the village to see, smell, touch, eat or just fall asleep under their shade to the sound of gently humming insects.

Cllr David Walton