Thursday 28 February 2019
Donkey Lane Community Orchard Minutes
Thanks to everyone who came along to the Donkey Lane Orchard meeting on the 26 February. A copy of the minutes can be found here.
Tuesday 26 February 2019
Donkey Lane Community Orchard Meeting & Next Working Parties
The next orchard meeting will be held on Tuesday 26th February 7:30 pm at White's Field Community Hall, White's Field, Mill Lane, Chinnor, Oxon, OX39 4RF. All welcome.
Our next working parties will be held on:
Saturday 2nd March: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm ish and
Tuesday 5th March: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm ish
Head up Keen's Lane, across the railway crossing and the orchard is directly on the right. These working party are to help regenerate and restore the ancient orchard and to explore the social history of the site.
Bring some tools if you have them and a cup so you can have some refreshments.
Our next working parties will be held on:
Saturday 2nd March: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm ish and
Tuesday 5th March: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm ish
Head up Keen's Lane, across the railway crossing and the orchard is directly on the right. These working party are to help regenerate and restore the ancient orchard and to explore the social history of the site.
Bring some tools if you have them and a cup so you can have some refreshments.
Sunday 17 February 2019
Donkey Lane Community Orchard Working Parties
It is not often we are lost for words but we have to confess to being completely speechless (almost) regarding the change that has already been made to the Community Orchard by the dedicated group of volunteers during the recent working parties.
Most of the fruit trees are clear of Ivy as far up as can been reached. We have probably cleared about 70% of our planned first stage. As we can now see the fruit trees properly, it is obvious that these are the trees in the original photographs standing in the garden of the cottages. Some of the trees are a bit wobbly (but then so would you be if you had been standing for 150 years).
Our objective is for every fruit tree to have it’s own 'Management Plan' with the first stage being to remove the Ivy and brambles and to provide support in the form of crucks. We have made a significant start on this. With respect to the underground den that was onsite, when we turned up for our first working party on Saturday 9th February, we found that some of the den’s supporting timbers had been removed and with the the recent spell of wet weather, the roof had collapsed. Later in the year we will have a small working party to ensure this area is made completely safe. The tree house is still standing. We carried out a structural survey and were disappointed to see that the floor is completely rotten and dangerous to use. To ensure the safety of our volunteers we removed a few insecure timbers. A plan for the tree house will be made at our next meeting. The priority is to ensure that none of our children or grandchildren come to any harm from the structure and perhaps plan for a safe replacement that will give maximum, safe community enjoyment. Read more ...
Most of the fruit trees are clear of Ivy as far up as can been reached. We have probably cleared about 70% of our planned first stage. As we can now see the fruit trees properly, it is obvious that these are the trees in the original photographs standing in the garden of the cottages. Some of the trees are a bit wobbly (but then so would you be if you had been standing for 150 years).
Our objective is for every fruit tree to have it’s own 'Management Plan' with the first stage being to remove the Ivy and brambles and to provide support in the form of crucks. We have made a significant start on this. With respect to the underground den that was onsite, when we turned up for our first working party on Saturday 9th February, we found that some of the den’s supporting timbers had been removed and with the the recent spell of wet weather, the roof had collapsed. Later in the year we will have a small working party to ensure this area is made completely safe. The tree house is still standing. We carried out a structural survey and were disappointed to see that the floor is completely rotten and dangerous to use. To ensure the safety of our volunteers we removed a few insecure timbers. A plan for the tree house will be made at our next meeting. The priority is to ensure that none of our children or grandchildren come to any harm from the structure and perhaps plan for a safe replacement that will give maximum, safe community enjoyment. Read more ...
Plant and Seed Swap
Our next highly popular Seed & Plant Swap will be held as part of the Chinnor & Thame Friends of the Earth Green Fayre at Mill Lane School, Mill Lane, Chinnor, OX9 4RF on Saturday 11th May 2019 between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.
We are already planting some items of interest which we will hope will tempt
you to come and join us and make it as big a success as last year when about
1000 plants changed hands. You know how it works now. Bring something to swap
or make a small contribution towards costs.
A request to all of you gardeners
out there. We are all trying to cut down our use of plastic or recycle it. Well
if you have any spare 3” plastic flower pots (3” is diameter at top) then we
can use them for our pricking out. If you have any available please email us at grenningchinnor@gmail.com and we'll collect them.
Thursday 14 February 2019
Chinnor Parish Footpaths - Henton
We're delighted to report that the overgrown
wasteland behind the houses on the left hand side of the main street in Henton
(Footpaths 13 and 44) have now been cleared by the South Chiltern Path
Maintenance Volunteers (SCPMV affiliated to the Chiltern Society) working alongside our Parish Path Warden.
This is still work in progress as the remaining rickety stiles will be replaced by gates once funds are available. Below you will see a couple of before and after pictures.
This is still work in progress as the remaining rickety stiles will be replaced by gates once funds are available. Below you will see a couple of before and after pictures.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)