Long Buckby visitors enjoy fruits of labour at community orchard celebration

Nick Roberts, Park Manager, with some of the produce.

The Community Orchard at Cotton End Park marked another successful year by giving away more than 92kg of heritage fruit.

An ‘Apples and Pears Day’ was held in the Market Place, with 10 varieties of heritage apples and pears from the Midlands available as freebies.

Visitors were asked to make a donation towards the renewal of the play equipment at Cotton End Park.

Visitors made donations at the celebration.

The gardening club also had a stall and did a thriving trade in seasonal plants. Other attractions were free samples of apple juice and apple flapjacks, made from locally sourced fruit. The sun shone, the Market Place buzzed, and in total more than £400 was raised in donations.

Park manager Nick Roberts said:"This event is a celebration of the Community Orchard. From bare sticks planted in a muddy field eight years ago, we now have a living, fruit-producing orchard. It is quite miraculous."

Daniel Tabor, chair of the group which manages the park, said, ’The generosity and support of the community is wonderful, and we could not run the park without it.

"It is hoped that the new zipwire will be installed by the end of the year, and the money raised at the Apples and Pears Day will go towards the renovation of the rest of the play equipment in 2022-23."