Christmas Thoughts at Donkey Lane Community Orchard

 It’s late October and I’m bent over, kneeling on my green gardening pad to try and take the pressure off my knees. Bending is a problem because I’m all wrapped up with several thick layers, including my wax jacket and the waterproof trousers I used to wear for biking in wet weather. I’m here to help dig a test pit in the Orchard, after all those Sunday afternoons watching ‘Time Team’ in the 1990s, I am finally doing it myself. It’s hard work, this wet clay is really heavy. But it is rather addictive, as you move down carefully taking off the earth inch by inch and thinking that the next layer might be the one where you find something really exciting. We’ve already got a large spoil heap and on top perches the little robin who has adopted our pit. He came to see us both days and sang for his supper, thanking us for all the worms.

Robins seem to have a special affinity with man, is that why they have become associated with our biggest annual celebration? They began appearing on Christmas cards when these first became popular in Victorian times, and are still there today. The early postmen wore bright red jackets and were known as ‘robins’ or ‘redbreasts’. Early cards showed the bright red post-boxes along with a robin holding a card in its beak. Nowadays robins can be seen on all the supermarket shelves on packaging for a whole range of items, as well as on Christmas tree decorations. Even if the practice of sending cards continues to dwindle, there will always be the robin worn on a Christmas jumper or decorating the wrapping paper used for Christmas presents.

The robin is also found in earlier folk tales associated with Christianity and the birth of Jesus. There was said to be a robin in the manger who flapped his wings to fan the fire which was in danger of going out. The flame revived, mother and baby were kept warm, but the little brown bird scorched his breast. There is a different version which takes place later, when Jesus was on the cross. A robin pulled out a thorn from his crown and sang to him to try and ease his suffering. In this version a drop of blood fell onto the robin’s breast and coloured it.

We seem to have at least two resident robins in the Orchard which is surprising as they are usually very territorial birds. It is interesting that they are always referred to as the ‘red robin’ because when you really look, their breast is orange. This tells us that the bird was named before the English language had a word for orange – rather like the ‘scarlet pimpernel’ flower which looks perfectly orange to my eyes. The robin has been our national bird since 1960, and is a favourite of the public, especially gardeners and those who like to feed their wild visitors.





I straighten up to stretch my back, I can see the holly tree already decorated with many scarlet berries shining through the drizzle. Perhaps they foretell a hard winter to come? Read more...

Newcomers to the Orchard 2023

The soil in the Orchard is a natural seed bank and it turns out that many different wildflower seeds are being stored there. As we have been doing clearing work, and disturbing the soil to dig out nettles or plant new hedging, dormant seeds have been given a chance to grow up into the light. Some of the plants are new to us. Compared to what we first recorded in 2021, last year we counted six ‘new’ species and again this year we found a similar number.

 
Here are a couple of plants that we noticed for the first time this year. They are both members of the Daisy family and they both arrived on our shores in the 1700s. However the way that they came here was very different, the first arrived accidentally but the second was brought here on purpose.

 

Conyza canadensis - Canadian fleabane

Two specimens turned up growing close up by what we call the Queen apple tree. This fleabane is a plant originally native to North and Central America, where it has become a problem weed in soya bean fields and it is known there as Horseweed. Here with us it has a rather unassuming look, a tallish weedy annual growing in arable land and having very small colourless flowers and fluffy seed heads. It isn’t a problem in the UK. It also thrives in man-made environments such as the pavements in city streets. It can now be found from Cornwall right up to Scotland, and it seems to have spread rapidly north in recent years perhaps as a result of the warming climate.  Read more...

“Hear our Story”

Tuesday 7th November 2023 

7:30pm (doors open 7:00 pm)

Chinnor Community Pavilion, Station Rd, Chinnor OX39 4PU

We are fast approaching November 11th, the time of year when we remember those who fell in the many conflicts involving our nation. We specifically wish to remember the two young men who were born in the cottages that once stood in Donkey Lane Community Orchard, Alfred and Aubrey Howlett and the landowner’s son Frank Eggleton. They, and many others, left to fight in WW1 for their country but never returned. 

If you missed last year’s presentation, this is your chance to come along and hear about their experiences. The talk will be well supported by maps, photos and illustrations including some new material. Some of the background information you may find surprising! 

Delving deep into war diaries and other War Office records, hear the poignant stories of the sons of two families; the Howletts, Alfred and Aubrey who lived in one of the Orchard cottages and Frank Eggleton, the son of the owner of the land where the cottages stood.

Discover some of the key battles and lives of the soldiers who, along with many other young men, left their village to serve their Country in the Great War and did not return.

Are you baffled by the language used in descriptions of the war or maybe thought ‘how did they do that’? 

We will try to answer a few of these things. For example; how did they transport 700 horses to Alexandria in 1914.

Admission £5 by ticket (cash only please) available from Chinnor Parish Office or by emailing greeningchinnor@gmail.com or call on 07973 788339. 

Test Pit Digging at Donkey Lane Community Orchard

Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th October 2023 10am – 3:30pm.

Last December, with the help, and under the guidance of the South Oxfordshire Archaeological Group, a series of test pits were dug at Donkey Lane Community Orchard. This was to look for evidence of the old cottages and find out more about the activities and people who lived and worked on the site.

This year two previous pits will be reopened and extended based on last year’s findings. Test Pit 1 will be slightly to the right as a building was just missed. Test Pit 3 will also be opened and extended (near the lane) where some evidence of a wall was found. Depending on numbers, it’s hoped to open 2 new test pits where there are signs of cottages and outbuildings on the 1881 map. 

As last year, we welcome you to come and help find out more about the Orchard site. Volunteers will be guided through each stage so everyone can learn how an excavation is carried out and your test pit is dug to professional standards. 

Even if you don’t dig, there are plenty of other essential roles that can be done whilst sitting and/or in short bursts and without getting too dirty! Anyone can join in; children are most welcome (accompanied by a parent or guardian). Contact Linda at greeningchinnor@gmail.com to book your place.

Donkey Lane Community Orchard - The Guntrips

Sarah Gomme and John Guntrip married in St Andrews Church in Chinnor on 7th of December 1818. They were both in later life for a first marriage by the trends of the time. According to records, John was about 40 and Sarah 36. Sarah’s maiden name was spelled in several ways in the numerous records that we have found. It can be Gumm, Gomme, Gomm or Gom. To save confusion we will use Gomme in this piece. Guntrip also has alternative spelling with a double ‘p’ at the end and on Sarah’s death recording she is listed as ‘Lantrip’. The marriage was witnessed by Lucy Gomme and William Neal who were both able to sign their names. John and Sarah only “made their mark” which was not unusual for the time and seems the case for many marriage records. We have not yet found any children from this marriage.

Sarah was the daughter of Thomas Gomme and Mary Eustace, both of Chinnor. Their marriage was recorded in the Chinnor church records in 1773. The Gomme’s had many children, several of whom had died in infancy.

There were as many as 15 recorded births although at least two died in infancy and it seems from the parish records that they used the name again for the next child, which seemed quite common at the time. The two examples of this were Lucy born 1798 and died 1799, followed by another Lucy born in 1800. There was also a James born in 1791 and died in 1792 followed by another James born in 1793 who made it into adulthood as he was still present on the later census returns.

For example, the first Lucy’s birth 24th January 1788, death, June 15th, 1789, making her 17 months old.

This is the second Lucy’s birth record for 11th March 1800. This Lucy, who was a witness at Sarah and John’s wedding in 1818, went on to have a longish life marrying James Biggs 4 years later in 1822. They had 3 surviving daughters and a son. Read more...

2023 Apple Pressing at Donkey Lane Community Orchard

It is with great regret that due to an extreme shortage of apples Greening Chinnor will be unable to hold the planned apple pressing in the Orchard. Several factors have caused this. We had a bounteous crop last year and many old fruit trees crop well and then have a rest. During blossom time we had several sharp frosts and finally the growing season has veered between deluge and drought. Unfortunately, a couple of local growers who could also be guaranteed to supply a few boxes had the same problem as us, plus the affliction of brown rot. Fingers crossed for next year and we hope the Wassail brings us better fortune.

We have seen a few members of the community picking the extremely sparse crop of windfalls. Good for them. The orchard is a Community Orchard and is always open. We are happy for anyone to collect windfalls. There is no charge and all we ask is that you do not pick for commercial purposes, damage the trees and always take your litter home.

Christian Aid Chinnor Scarecrow Trail

 Where is Stick Man?

Where can he be?

He's in the Orchard, sitting in a tree

Greening Chinnor and Donkey Lane Community Orchard are pleased to be part of this year's Christian Aid Scarecrow Trail.

The Trail is open 10 - 5 pm Saturday 30th September/Sunday 1st October 2023

Why not follow it. Click on link for Programme and Map

Donkey Lane Community Orchard - Heritage Fruit Tree Nursery

Renovation and restoration of the Orchard means we need to ensure the heritage fruit trees are not lost to posterity and in February 2023, a new Orchard nursery was established to safeguard the genetic lines of the apple trees.

Most of the fruit trees are well in excess of 100 years old and as such are starting to come to the end of their natural life. With the need to preserve such varieties as “Lane’s Prince Albert”, the decision was made to graft* some of the ‘more vulnerable’ apple trees. Grafting essentially clones the tree. It enables the forming of a new tree with the same genetic makeup as the original tree. This way we can preserve the variety true to form. At present we do not know the names of all varieties of apples in the Orchard although DNA testing, results which will be available the end of the year, should give that information. We do know however, that two of the apple trees have been lost in the last year due to storms.

In February, members of the group took scion cuttings from five of the apple trees and attended the Mid Shires Orchard Group ‘Scion Swap’ at Buckingham Nurseries. Here they were advised on what root stock would be suitable for the Orchard trees and chose M111, a vigorous and disease resistant rootstock which should produce heavy crops in 3 to 4 years. Read more...

Donkey Lane Community Orchard – Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Hedge

During the spring of 2022 Greening Chinnor volunteers planted over 370 hedging shrubs in the Orchard hedge running adjacent to the lane. The intention was to plant a native mixed species hedge to commemorate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee and was part of the nationwide tree planting initiative ‘The Queen’s Green Canopy’.

Orchard hedge as detailed on the QGC map

The hedge is intended to have several beneficial purposes for the local environment and community:

• to provide a wildlife corridor along the length of the orchard
• be a food and nesting resource for wildlife
• give picking and foraging opportunities for the local community
• and finally, to look wonderful

Varieties planted include: Hawthorn, Cornelian Cherry, Hazel, Kentish Cob (Lambert’s Filbert), Spindle, Dog Rose, Cherry Plum, Wayfaring Tree, Bledlow Bullace, Sea Buckthorn, Field Maple and Holly. The hedging was planted whilst the bushes were still in winter dormancy and before the bird nesting season started. Read more...

Residents of the Orchard 1871

In our investigations we have reached the decade commencing with the 1871 Census where we see many longstanding but ageing residents passing away. In this Census “Hollins Lane” includes families who lived in houses situated between Hill Farm and the Orchard Cottages.

Numbers on map refer to the 1877 Ordnance Survey map

Below is a list of the occupiers detailed in the Census headed with the relevant Census numbering.

The trackway leading to the Cottages from the village altered in and around the time of the 1871 census. It was at this time that the cottage dwellers would have witnessed the Princes Risborough to Watlington Railway Line being laid which, in effect, was to separate the Orchard Cottages from the main Chinnor settlement - and meant that access from the village main street to the Orchard Cottages necessitated having to cross the railway line and vice versa. Read more ....

Donkey Lane Community Orchard - Useful Plants

 We have largely forgotten the closeness we had to plants in the past, buying our food in the supermarket and our medicines in the pharmacy, not to mention the way that plastic has replaced wood for a whole range of former uses. Artificial fibres have replaced plant fibres in much of our clothing and bedding. We no longer rely on the willow weaver to make our baskets and other containers, or collect rushes to light our homes, and firewood and brush to cook with and keep us warm. But if we stop to think about it, we do still rely on a wide variety of plants in our daily life, both for eating and medicine, for wooden furniture and linen or cotton clothes. But now the plants are a good step removed from our daily life, both in terms of collection and manufacture.

In the past and especially before the Industrial Revolution, people lived closer to the earth and to a large extent, looked after themselves as much as they could. Ordinary people living in the countryside were of necessity, what we now call 'foragers'. Foraging has had a raised profile in recent times, building on the earlier work of people like Richard Mabey with his 'Food for Free' book first published in 1972. Nowadays up-market chefs use foragers to supply them with a whole range of wild leaves and berries for their restaurants. Celebrity foragers have Instagram accounts and have appeared on recent mainstream TV programs as diverse as 'Countryfile' and ‘Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig'. As well as providing unusual cocktail ingredients and tasty additions to salads, plants are being re-discovered for other uses - such as nettles for fibre, and elderberry juice for its anti-viral properties. Read more

Open Air Performance at Donkey Lane Community Orchard

Come and join us for ‘Sour Cherry Soup’, a new 45 minute one woman show tells the story of the changing landscapes and populations of the Chilterns, as well as how the history of cherries is also the history of Southern England, reflecting the richness of the landscape, past, present and future.

The stunning chalk landscape of the Chilterns is crisscrossed by historic pathways, hillforts and burial mounds, full of ancient woodland, hedgerows and chalk streams, with traces of human occupation going back at least 5000 years – plus the cherry orchards, cultivated by generations of farmers plying the land, a bygone culture literally beneath our feet in the local towns and villages.

But it’s also a contemporary landscape, a thriving environment that supports busy town populations and diverse communities, as well as glorious walks across the hills and a fragile ecosystem of protected plants and animals.

Sour Cherry Soup, written by playwright Sara Clifford for the Chalk, Cherries and Chairs Landscape Partnership Scheme, has been inspired by real stories of Chilterns people, gathered by Sara at creative workshops and discussions with community groups across the Chilterns. We’re thrilled to be bringing this brand new play to a range of outdoor venues in the Chilterns this summer – join us to dive into the Chilterns in a way you may not have experienced before!

Find out more and book your tickets

Greening Chinnor Annual General Meeting

Greening Chinnor AGM and Social 

 Join us at the Blossom and Open Day on Saturday 22 April 2023.

Free event. All welcome.

Greening Chinnor Annual General Meeting & Social

Notice of Annual General Meeting

The Greening Chinnor AGM will be held on Tuesday 25th April 2023 at 7.30pm. The meeting will take place in the Lounge at the Village Centre, High St, Chinnor OX39 4DH

First there will be the presentation of the Chair's and Treasurer’s report, as well as the appointment of the committee roles of Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. This will be followed by a short informative film and social.

In accordance with our Constitution, Officers will be elected at an annual general meeting for one year, with no limit on the number of times that they can be re-elected.

Please email greeningchinnor@gmail.com if you would like to make a nomination or would like to volunteer for any of the posts below:

• Chairperson
• Secretary
• Treasurer

Agenda

1. Present and Apologies

2. Welcome & Introduction from the Chair

3. AGM Formal Business

3.1. Approve Minutes of the last AGM link here

3.2. Presentation of Annual Report

3.3. Presentation of Financial Report

4. Election of officers

4.1. Chair

4.2. Treasurer

4.3. Secretary

5. AOB

6. Date of next meeting/s

Chalk, Chalk, Chalk and more Chalk - The geology of the area around the orchard

Setting the scene

There are photographs of the cottages in Donkey Lane from the pre and post WW1 period showing that this was and still is an idyllic setting. It sits at the base of the chalky Chiltern Hills on one of the historic routes in and out of Chinnor. 

Photographic evidence shows that the middle cottage was the only one remaining around 1920 although the top one which was parallel to the lane was still present on a postcard picture, dated, according to the postmark around 1902. The third pair of cottages which were mentioned in the census and depicted on maps disappeared soon after the coming of the railway. They were last mentioned as inhabited on the 1881 census. They are still depicted on the 1880’s map now showing the railway. There is no sign of them on the turn of the century photographs. 

The families posing in the above photograph from about the turn of 20th century are wearing their Sunday best and standing close to the railway fence. By this time the bottom pair of cottages had gone, the ladies with the baby would have been standing roughly where they had originally been situated. Today that is near where the new gate into the orchard is situated.

Since the cottages became uninhabited the plot has had several uses. The fruit continued to grow and was harvested every year in the autumn by the locals until present day. It was recollected by some locals that there were berries as well as plums and apples. There are currently plenty of wild blackberry bushes growing but it was mentioned anecdotally that there were still blackcurrants, gooseberries and raspberries still there in the 50’s. These were possibly left over from the kitchen gardens of the cottages or even dumped afterwards by locals as garden waste and rooted.

In the 40’s and 50’s the area was used by the farm workers in the cottages on the village side of the railway to keep their chickens. It has however, largely remained uninhabited and undeveloped now for about a hundred years. It is thought that the last cottage was demolished in the 1920’s. Many people who have recollected about this area describe walking past the orchard up the lane to the hills as a family, often on a Sunday afternoon. Sometimes to the pub on the top of the hill or along to the pubs on the Ridgeway. They all remembered picking fruit on the way back.

Since the 1960s the plot has mostly been used as an informal adventure playground and sadly a place where some locals dumped garden rubbish and building materials. The well was made safe in the 60’s to prevent anyone falling in but it was still obviously a well in the 1980’s but underwent a number of changes in the ensuing years. The youngsters of the area have used the orchard as a place to have adventures since the demolition of the houses and possibly before! When the clearing began in 2019 the well was found to be caving in from ‘den works’ a huge chalk cavern had been carved out, by this time it was unclear where the actual well shaft was so it needed to be temporarily filled in until it can be made safe. This was done during some of the earlier working parties. This photograph taken in 2019 of the excavations shows the extent of the chalk below the ground in the area. The den in the photograph was cut into the chalk which must have been quite hard work.  Read more...

Wassail at the Orchard

What a great afternoon was had at the Wassail in Donkey Lane Community Orchard on Sunday 22nd January. We hope everyone who came enjoyed themselves. With 110 people making such a noise we’re sure to have driven out any bad luck for the year. We’re sorry to have run out of mulled cider and mulled apple juice; it was obviously very cold or we had a thirsty bunch of visitors! We’ll make sure we have more essential supplies next year.

Our thanks to Claire Conway-Crapp from the Mid Shires Orchard Group who did a marvellous job of leading the Wassail and to Rev’d Jacky Barr for the final blessing. And to Towersey Village Voices, it was lovely hearing their “voices” in the Orchard.

The next event at the Orchard will be the Blossom Day on the 22nd April.

A reminder that we hold regular working parties on the 1st Tuesday of the month 10:00 am - 1:00 pm and on the 3rd Saturday of the month 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm. All are welcome to join in, no experience required, just come along to the Orchard at the designated date and time. Tools and equipment supplied.

Photo credit: Steve Gunn 2023

Photo credit: Steve Gunn 2023

Sunday 22nd January 2023 - Wassail at Donkey Lane Community Orchard

Not long now to our 2023 Winter Wassail at Donkey Lane Community Orchard on Sunday 22nd January 2023 2pm - 4pm.

Bring the family along to join in this traditional celebration to wish good health for the orchard, wealth for the community and a bountiful fruit harvest. Dress up warmly and bring percussion instruments like drums, triangles, maracas or pans and spoons, anything you can clatter together to make a noise!

There's no need to book; the event is free and open to everyone. Donations are welcomed (cash only) in return for refreshments, for the Donkey Lane Community Orchard.

Weather and clothing

Check the weather forecast and dress up appropriately. Bring a brolly if needed! Wear wellington boots or stout, waterproof footwear that is suitable for walking around in an orchard environment in winter weather.

Ground Conditions

The orchard floor is covered in a mixture of grasses and a variety of wild plants. The terrain is uneven and dependent on the weather, there may be areas of mud, so watch your step. Windfall apples that haven't yet been eaten by wildlife may also be slippery underfoot. Ground conditions in the orchard may not be suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs without rough terrain tyres. The Orchard can be reached by heading up Keen's Lane and crossing the railway crossing into Donkey Lane. The Orchard is directly on the right-hand side. Please be aware that Donkey Lane can be extremely muddy in wet weather.

We look forward to welcoming you to our 2023 Winter Wassail!

Wassail 2023

DATE: Sunday 22nd January 2023 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm at the Orchard

Greening Chinnor and the Mid Shires Orchard Group invite you and your family to the annual Winter Wassail for the Donkey Lane Community Orchard! 

The Anglo-Saxon ‘wes haile!’ or ‘wase hail!’ was a hearty wish for good health and fortune. We shout ‘Wassail!’ to toast our apple trees, that they may be healthy and fruitful for the coming year and bring us good harvest and bounty. We also make lots of noise to ward off bad luck and mischievous spirits, so they stay away and don’t steal the fruit!

Cross the railway crossing and enter the Donkey Lane Community Orchard via the ancient trackway… Appreciate the lovely vista of the historic 19th century apple trees in this rural Chiltern's landscape. Enjoy the warm scent of apples as the hodgepodge of windfalls are crushed underfoot. Admire the decorated trees that are the King and Queen of the Orchard, hung with all their finery.

The event is lots of fun and we welcome audience participation. Make a din to scare off mischievous spirits, by banging drums, blowing horns, beating pots and pans and joining in the Wassail song . Assembled children (of all ages!) will scatter a festive seed mix, for the wildlife to enjoy

After the main event, congregate around the Refreshments Stall to enjoy more cider, mulled cider, mulled apple juice, apple juice and cake. Small cash donations are welcomed in return for refreshments, for the Orchard. 

Take a tour of the Orchard

• Take a walk around the Donkey Lane Community Orchard with your hosts
• Visit the historic apple and plum trees and learn more about them
• Discover the site of the old well and the cottages
• Learn how you can help keep this orchard flourishing, join in working parties and enjoy orchard events

You’ve read about Wassails in the Parish Pump; now come along and enjoy one for yourself. Bring along some musical instruments, pots, pans and wooden spoons… anything that will make a noise!

For more information about Wassails, check out he excellent article written by Christine Davis on our our Story page