During the past couple of weeks the Dig for Devonport Community Explorers have enjoyed two fabulous outings up in the Tamar Valley.
Right:Cherry Orchard, Relaxing While Learning
On Friday 28th June the Community Explorres visited Denham Orchard via Bere Alston. Our host, Matt Pontin, led us along footpaths through fields being baled for silage, across pastures of grazing cattle and past fruitful orchards. At Denham Orchard we were welcomed by our other host, Jeremy Johnston. We enjoyed tea in one of the old packing houses while we learned about the horticultural heritage of the valley and the new plans emerging for this interesting piece of land. We then explored the site. After lunch everyone helped harvesting soft fruit and gave the orchard some TLC. We then had to hotfoot it back to Bere Alston to catch the Tamar Valley train back to Plymouth!On Sunday 7th July Mary Martin and James Evans welcomed us to their very special cherry orchard near Cotehele. Mary and James have spent years collecting and growing the local varieties of cherries which thrive in the climate of Devon and Cornwall. One of the aims of the Community Explorers project is to plant these Tamar Valley cherry tree varieties in Plymouth. Therefore, tasting the cherries was an essential part of the day! Tom Buckley from the Edible Whitleigh was particularly impressed and taken by the idea of planting some of these cherries in Whitleigh itself.
Mary and James shared a wealth of information with us as they guided us around the orchards. I already have a well-thumbed copy of their informative ‘Cornish Pomona’ book on local varieties of apples. I am therefore looking forward to reading their next book on local cherries! Click here to find out more information about their work: Left: Denham Orchard, Harvesting soft fruits
Everyone enjoyed the day in the cherry orchards, especially relaxing with tea and homemade scones with cherry jam.
Looking forward, plans are afoot to take a group of young people from Routeway’s Devonport Park Activity Centre up into the Tamar Valley in August. We have also been asked to take a group of residents from the Devonport Lifehouse on a similar outing. For further information please email Tess Wilmot