By January 2018 the shade tolerant early spring plants are coming up round the stump; Aconites Eranthis hyemalis, snowdrops, crocuses and the Suffolk orchard speciality, Ghost flower Ornithogalum nutans. Sadly with the shade and grass suppression some of these plants will no longer thrive. The restored building to the right is what is left of the smithy.
Orchards East launch in Cambridgeshire Gen Broad We were delighted to welcome more than 50 people to the launch of Orchards East in Cambridgeshire. Held at Girton College on a bright sunny day with the chill of mid February in the air, the audience enjoyed a morning of presentations followed by a walk around the splendid Old Orchard. Some of the trees pre-date the building of the College in 1872. Paul Read (co-chair of Orchards East) gave a fascinating insight into the global history of orchards and the spread of fruit trees along the Silk Route from their origin in the Tien Chien Mountains, central Asia. A lasting image was that of ‘ice apples’ frozen on the tree and covered by snow in Mikko’s Finland orchard. They are taken off the tree just before eating! Bridget Halford gave us a flavour of the work of the dynamic Cambridgeshire Orchard Group (COG). COG has been active for many years and conducted invaluable surveys from 2004-2015, as well as producing a leaflet for Local Authorities, plum days and training workshops. Phil Ricketts (Manager of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Environmental Records Centre) told the story of the digital mapping of the Cambridgeshire orchards for the project. This is a complicated process, but has already provided valuable new information about the county’s orchards. Tom Williamson (Professor of Landscape History at the University of East Anglia and co-chair of Orchards East) introduced us to the world of historical maps and the exciting detective work needed to seek out the orchard sites worked by previous generations. Gen Broad gave an overview of how people can get involved with the various elements of Orchards East, surveying orchards, the oral history project and historical research. Dr Roland Randall, Fellow of Girton College, told us the history of Girton College orchard and led the afternoon walk, along with Paul Read. The varieties grown and used in the kitchens included Norfolk Beefing for mincemeat, Blenheim Orange for apple pie and Warner’s King for apple dumplings. The plums included October Blue which would still be in fruit when the undergraduates returned for the Michaelmas Term.
Paul Read leading the Old Orchard walk with Dr Roland Randall 11