Meeting with Puttenham Parish Council for a Parish Orchard, viewing historic maps

Gareth met with Puttenham Parish Council to discuss planting a small Traditional Orchard on a piece of wooded downland the Parish manages on the Hogs Back. 'X'-marks the rough spot where a group ash trees are to be removed and a small orchard planted. Historical maps are useful in showing what once grew in the area. In 1896 a large orchard was located just north of the village, much reduced by 1965 and now only a few remnant fruit tree remain, Stevenson’s 1809 survey of agriculture in Great Britain notes, “Most of the farms in Surrey have orchards attached to them sufficiently large to supply, in a favourable year, from four to twelve hogsheads of cider, but as they do not form the principal part of the farm and the main dependence of the farmer, they are not much taken care of” - many thanks to Brian Spooner and Dick Alder from Elmbridge Natural History Society for the quote.


​Posted by Gareth