Thirty community orchards are being planted across the Staffordshire Moorlands. Five in each of the three Moorlands towns of Leek, Cheadle and Biddulph and 15 in rural villages.
The orchards are part of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council’s (SMDC’s) climate change project.
Biddulph Town Council has been working with Officers from SMDC to select five suitable sites in the town.
The sites chosen are at:
- Biddulph Grange Country Park
- Dorset Drive
- Mill Hayes Playing Fields
- Adjacent to Biddulph Valley Leisure Centre Playground
- Newpool Meadows in Knypersley
Biddulph Moor has also planted an orchard near the Village Hall, organised independently by a group of residents.
Traditional orchards were often the centre of village life, a cornerstone of the rural economy and excellent places for people to come together to plant and cultivate local and unusual varieties of fruit trees.
They can provide a green haven in which to relax and wind-down. Orchards can also become an attractive habitat for insects, birds, bees and small mammals.
The hope and expectation is that communities in the areas of the orchards will help with planting and later care for the trees.
It will take a few years before the orchards become fully productive, but then they will provide a supply of fresh fruit for anyone who wishes to and is able to pick for themselves.
They will also provide a pleasant addition to our green areas and will hopefully be valued both by the community and the local flora and fauna.
We maintain a database of the trees we’ve planted and a list of people who are keen to help.
Please get in touch if you’d like to volunteer.
Phone Biddulph Town Council on 01782 498480 or Email: office@biddulph-tc.gov.uk.
Here’s some photos of our volunteers:
Planting was completed at the beginning of December 2021 at the Pocket Park at Dorset Drive.
