Metford Road Community Orchard
At the end of the Allotments north of the stream at Redland Green is a wonderful wild green place, the Metford Road Community Orchard. It is steep, full of all kinds of fruit trees and bushes, has glorious views, and is home to masses of butterflies, other insect and frogs.
What’s the history of the orchard? Some years back, the five plots at the end of the allotment site had fallen into disuse. Furthest from the gate, steepest, hardest to maintain, they had become totally overgrown and littered with all kinds of rubbish. Nobody wanted to take one of these daunting plots for an allotment. The City Council decided to sell the land off to be built on. Then a determined group from Bristol’s thriving permaculture scene put together a proposal to take on the five plots as a Community Orchard. Much back-breaking work then followed, with creation of terraces, ponds, steps, paths, the main social space (mainly for tea-drinking) and planting. Other community orchards exist in Bristol too, but Metford Road just happens to be the one that Susred members have got the most involved with.
How does the orchard work? The orchard is totally maintained by volunteers.
- Some just come and help out from time to time.
- Some are signed up members who share the payment of the annual allotment rental (about £12 each per year), commit to put in at least 16 hours’ work each year, and can take home a share of the fruit.
- Communal work days are the third Sunday of every month. We turn up at about 12 noon in winter, 11am in summer and work through the day, usually stopping for tea sandwiches and chat at lunchtime. Members often go along on other days too.
- Joe is our horticultural expert and also brings along a range of equipment.
- We also have pruning and grafting workshops, open day picnics, apple days and other events.
Can more people get involved? Yes. During the past couple of years the membership has grown significantly and we are now up to about 30 paid up committed members. If you think you’d like to find out more and possibly become a member then get in touch (see below) and we can show you around. We have a simple orchard leaflet oct 08 and you do need to be aware that the site is very steep and has lots of hazards for little children. The way that members keep in touch with each other and discuss ideas and plans is partly on workdays, partly through our Yahoo group, and partly through an annual evening get together in November.
And if you would just like to come along one workday and help, then do get in touch. To join us on one of our open days – when we have a picnic or storytelling or an apple day for example – keep an eye on the homepage of this website and just come along.
How do I find out more?
- Karen and Jan are the membership co-ordinators. To contact them email karen.shergold@virgin.net
- You can come along to a workday, usually the third Sunday of the month. The gate to the orchard is on Metford Road in between numbers 37 and 39. We tend to arrive around 11am. If you are planning on coming then ring Joe on 07840 059079
- We have a Yahoo group at metfordroadorchard@yahoogroups.com