Community Orchards in West Lancashire

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Orchards are areas of land where trees are planted to grow and harvest fruit. They predominantly consist of varieties of Apple, Pear, Plum and Cherry trees. But they are also so much more than this!

 

Wildlife Havens. Orchards are very important for our local wildlife. They often contain a mosaic of habitats including wildflower meadows, areas of bramble and scrub and established trees with plenty of mosses and lichens. This structural and ecological diversity makes orchards the ideal home for a wide range of animals, birds and insects - including many important pollinator species that have seen declines in recent years.

 

Traditional Landscapes. Such habitats have been common place throughout Britain for thousands of years dating back to the times of the Romans, and even earlier! Historically there were orchards in every town and community, each one containing a range of varieties and cultivars many unique to the area in which they grew. 

 

Community Wellbeing Hubs. They were places cared for by and of benefit to all members of the local community, often social hubs where people came together to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

 

Habitat under threat. In the mid-twentieth century, as fruit became more commercially available and widely distributed community orchards started to disappear.  As a result much of the variation and diversity has been lost along with the idea of community grown food. 

 

The future of Orchards. Thankfully there are a lot of charities and community organisations working hard to preserve and re-popularise many of the "traditional" or "heritage" cultivars of fruit tree and community orchards are making a resurgence. This is certainly the case in West Lancashire, we have been working hard with local community groups and volunteers to restore existing orchards and create new ones around the Borough. Community Orchards can now be found at :

 

  • Beacon Country Park, Skelmersdale

  • Coronation Park, Ormskirk

  • Tawd Valley Park, Skelmersdale

  • Richmond Park, Burscough

  • Thompson Avenue, Ormskirk

  • Kiln Lane, Skelmersdale

  • Manor Road, Burscough

  • Eskdale, Skelmersdale

  • Elswick, Skelmersdale

 

A resource for all. The fruit in our orchards is there for everybody in the local community to enjoy. All we ask is that you treat the orchards with respect, are not too greedy and that you harvest the fruit with appropriate levels of community spirit. The ripening season varies between cultivars. Most of the trees in our orchards fruit between July and September. Please adhere to the following guidance.

  • Try not to harvest the fruit before it is ripe and ready. When ripe, fruit comes away from the tree easily. If you have to wrestle with it to get it off the tree its probably not ready to be picked. Excessive tugging can damage the tree. 

  • Do not throw large objects into the tree or climb the trees to dislodge fruit as this can damage the tree.

  • Share. Although there is not limit on how much you can harvest please do not harvest excessive amounts of fruit all in one go. Leave some for other people or for the local wildlife to enjoy. 

  • Please do not carry out any pruning work or remove any trees without first consulting the Ranger Service. Pruning fruit trees incorrectly or at the wrong time of year can cause lasting damage. 

 

Recipe ideas

The fruit from orchards can be used in many different ways. Here are a couple of recipe ideas to get you started. You can mix and match different fruit into each recipe depending on your preference and what is available - don't forget the blackberries!

 

If you would like further information about any of our orchards or about how you can get involved in their upkeep please contact the Parks and Countryside Service via Beacon.Park@westlancs.gov.uk