Community Orchard
Stoneleigh Community Orchard
The Stoneleigh community orchard group was formed in May 2011 following the availability of funds from the LEADER project to create an orchard and a generous offer made by the Stoneleigh Meadows society to make available land adjacent to Stoneleigh Bridge in order to accommodate the trees.
The nucleus of the group was swiftly formed and ideas were translated into action over the weekend of December 3rd and 4th 2011 when a community event was successfully held to plant and stake some 31 cider apple trees. This event was swiftly followed by a further event to bring the complement of Apple and Perry pear trees up to 42 with the potential to increment to 46 trees by December 2012.
A second element of the project was to create a wild flower meadow within the confines of the orchard, the creation of which commenced in March 2012. It is hoped to broaden the variety of wild flowers resident within the orchard.
Finally, it is intended that the group will ultimately be able to process the fruit from the orchard in order to produce a quality “craft cider” and Perry beverage.
The group operates a “Friends of the Orchard” scheme at an annual cost of £10 which will entitle you to a share of the produce.
“We all hope the this work will enhance this area of the meadow and give additional colour, interest and dimension to our village as well as provide a community focus and resource”
Pete Freeman (Chairman)
If you wish to become a “Friend of the Orchard” please contact:
Peter Freeman 5 Church Lane,Stoneleigh
Tel: 02476 413893
Committee members:
Pete Freeman (Chairman)
Richard Hancox (Treasurer)
Richard Gledhill (Secretary)
Nora Blagburn
John Churchley
Laura Eliot
Friends of the Orchard:
Mr & Mrs Wrist, James Fletcher, Sharron McEldowney, Pam and Mike Baker, Terry Dyer, Alison Walker, Pam Richards, P and G Britten, John Robson, Jenny Skidmore, Barry Constable, Ann Hancox, Emma and John McEldowney, Marianne Puxley, Tom Marshall, Sheila Woolf, Mandy Smith,Anthony Bianco, Martin and Kim Smith, Colin Rice, Peter Whitehouse, Paul and Kathryn Smith, Ann Lowe, Malcolm Murphy, Shirley Ball, Jules Storer, Dick and Daphne James, the Coventry Mummers, David and Janet Gibson, Fred and Wendy Pauling, Mick Kelly, Simon Parkes, Gary and Susan Scott, Jan Whitehouse, Emma Clayton, Kris Turner, Roger Gilbert, Margaret and Ken Wallis, Quentin Compton-Bishop, Sue and Bill Crofts, Rory O’Connor,Louise Gledhill, Jim Gavin, Mayla-Rae Maddox, Liz Sykes, Chris and Andrea Downham, Robin and Jean Bussell, Jason Andrews and Jackie Rose, David and Jean Vaughan, Pennee Hughes, Martin and Sue Browett, Adrian Clarke, Clive Watson, Mick Sell, Gary and Kate Wilkinson, Tim Chatham, Bernice Tighe, Mike Evans.
Orchard Composition: see:stoneleigh_comm_orchard for details.
