Chilterns Orchards

Spotting a lone cherry tree in the middle of a piece of grassland could be the key to discovering a unique feature of the old Chilterns – large, productive orchards with mature trees set among grassland, which provided a tourist attraction when in blossom and fruiting, vital seasonal work for local people, and a supply of fresh fruit and other fruit products for London and nearby towns.

But these traditional orchards have all but disappeared, supplanted by modern ways of commercial growing, expansion of farming, and local development; those that remain are largely untended and the once sought-after varieties of fruit they harboured will be lost, along with the rich Chiltern culture that grew up around them.

While it’s still not too late, the Chiltern Orchards project will look into the history of the orchards and the fruit varieties which were developed locally – such as the Aylesbury prune and Prestwood Black cherry. It will train communities to restore and manage old orchards and help others to set up their own community orchards, using traditional skills and fruits, and providing significant habitat for some scarce flora and fauna.

The focus will be on cherries as the Central Chilterns were renowned for these, with cherry festivals once a highlight of the year, but all locally-used fruit will be essential to the project and rejuvenating orchards. Volunteers will be encouraged to get involved, to learn new skills, to share information and knowledge, and to tell the stories of the cherry orchards.