History and brief outline
Grid Use Root Max
of the orchard
Background
Sadly, many of our old orchards featuring veteran trees
have been removed over the years to make way for
more intensive farming, or for building land. At their
peak in 1935 commercial orchards around Willingham
alone covered over 750 acres. By creating new orchards
before it is too late, we can help to recreate the wealth of
biodiversity provided by those ancient orchards.
The history of our orchard
This orchard and woodland has been planted on the
five acres of land that was allotted under the Enclosure
Award of 1853 for community use. It was subsequently
called The Old Recreation Ground and was used for
playing football and cricket. It was replaced by the
New Recreation Ground in West Fen Road in the 1950s.
Since then it had been let for grazing and hay. In 2012
Willingham Parish Council agreed that it would now be
appropriate to use this land as a Community Orchard,
open to everyone in the village. The Willingham Tree
Project was conceived in 2011 by Graham Mumby,
together with a small group of enthusiasts, as a
Willingham Action Group response to actions arising
from the Parish Plan. The project was funded by a grant
from ‘The Big Tree Plant’, a government initiative to
encourage tree planting nationwide, although all the fruit
trees in the orchard were sponsored.
The trees
The varieties were selected to be representative of
Eastern England, and to include older varieties. Cider
and Perry types are also included originating from the
west country. The range also extends to nut bearing
trees. 114 trees are planted on 8 x 8 m grid and will be
pruned to encourage spreading growth and allowing
the height potential of the selected rootstock to be
realised. In time this will create the appearance of a
traditional orchard. The trees were planted in 2013/14
and watered regularly over the first two summer seasons.
750 woodland trees were planted at the same time not
only to create a mixed native woodland but to provide a
shelter belt.
For further information go to willinghamlife.org website
Planting Plan
Stock Height
APPLE (45)
Ashmead’s Kernel 7 E D M25 4.5m +
Ashmead’s Kernel 8 F D M25 4.5m +
Barnack Beauty 11 L D MM106 4m
N
Bloody Ploughman 4 A D MM111 4m
M
Discovery 8 D D MM106 4m
L Discovery 9 D D MM106 4m
Egremont Russet 9 J D MM106 4m
picnic area K
J Ellison’s Orange 4 E D M26 3m
Huntingdon Codlin 10 J D M25 4.5m +
I
Lady Sudeley 8 K D MM106 4m
H
Laxton’s Fortune 9 L D MM106 Bush
16
G
Laxton’s Superb 10 M D MM106 Bush
F 15 Lord Lambourne 2 C D M26 3m
E 14
Norfolk Royal Russet 10 K D MM106 4m
Pam’s Delight 13 I D MM106 4m
D
13 Perfection 12 I D MM106 4m
C
St. Edmund’s Russet 10 L D MM106 4m
12
B
Thoday Quarrenden 13 H D MM106 4m
A 11 Allington Pippin 9 H D/C MM106 4m
Blenheim Orange 5 D D/C M25 4.5m +
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Blenheim Orange 8 C D/C MM106 4m
Brown’s Seedling 5 F D/C MM106 4m
main entrance
Charles Ross 8 J D/C MM106 4m
Chivers Delight 6 E D/C MM106 4m
Histon Favourite 2 B D/C MM106 4m
Mulberry Hazel/Walnut/Chestnut
Peasgood’s Nonsuch 11 G D/C MM106 4m
Apple Quince
Bramley Seedling 9 I C M25 4.5m +
Plum/Damson Medlar Bramley Seedling 11 J C M25 4.5m +
Peach/Apricot Fig/Berries/Filbert Cottenham Seedling 11 E C MM106 4m
Cherry Pear Dr Harvey 11 K C M25 4.5m +
N Jolly Miller 12 G C MM106 4m
Lord Derby 4 C C MM106 4m
Norfolk Beefing 11 M C MM106 4m
W E
Schoolmaster 8 I C MM106 4m
Brown’s Apple 12 H CI M25 4.5m +
S Dabinett 7 A CI M25 4.5m +
Dabinett 8 B CI M25 4.5m +
 Grid Use Root Max Grid Use Root Max Grid Use Root Max
Stock Height Stock Height Stock Height

Dabinett 9 B CI M25 4.5m + MEDLAR (2) Black Worcester 13 K D PC 6m +

Dabinett 10 B CI M25 4.5m +
Herefordshire Redstreak 12 F CI M25 4.5m +
Tom Putt 3 C C/CI MM111 3m
Tom Putt 4 D C/CI MM111 3m
Tom Putt 9 G C/CI M25 4.5m +
Tom Putt 10 G C/CI M25 4.5m +
Royal 5 A D/C Quince A 3.5m Blakeney Red 14 K P PC 6m +
Nottingham 6 A C Quince A 3.5m Brandy 15 K P PC 6m +
Butt 6 F P PC 6m +
MULBERRY (3) White Longdon 13 G P PC 6m +
Wellington 1 A D/C Alba Yellow Huffcap 14 J P PC 6m +
Wellington 2 A D/C Alba

Cambridge Queening 10 I C/CI MM106 4m White 3 D D/C Self PLUM (13)

Wallis’ Wonder 6 C D St Julian A 3.5m

APRICOT (2) NUT (9) Coe’s Golden Drop 10 E D/C St Julian A 3.5m

Early Moorpark 9 C D/C Krymsk 4m Kentish Cob 13 N D/C Histon Gage 9 E D/C St Julian A 3.5m
Common Hazel 16 K D/C Mirabelle de Nancy 9 F D/C St Julian A 3.5m
Early Moorpark 10 D D/C Krymsk 4m
Hazel ‘Cosford’ 12 L D/C Mirabelle Gypsy 11 F D/C St Julian A 3.5m
Hazel ‘Cosford’ 12 M D/C Purple Pershore 12 E D/C Pixie Bush 3m
CHERRY (9)
Hazel Victoria 6 D D/C St Julian A 3.5m
Alba Heart 7 G D 4 Colt 4m
‘Merveille de Bollwiller’ 12 N D/C Victoria 7 D D/C St Julian A 3.5m
Archduke 6 G D 4 Colt 4m
Sweet Chestnut 15 M D Victoria ‘Willingham
Early Rivers 7 H D 4 Colt 4m
Walnut ‘Common’ 13 L D/C Ralph Thoday’ 11 C D/C Sucker
Early Rivers 5 B D Colt Std
Walnut ‘Common’ 14 L D/C Warwickshire Drooper 3 A D/C St Julian A 3.5m
Merton Glory 7 J D Colt Bush
Walnut ‘Broadview’ 15 L D/C Willingham Gage 10 F D/C St Julian A 3.5m
Merton Late 8 G D Gisela 5 2.5-3m
Yellow Gage ‘Willingham
Morello 7 I D 4 Colt 4m
PEACH (2) Dennis Rose’ 15 J D/C Sucker
Stella 5 C D Colt 1/2 Std
Peregrine 3 B D Krymsk 4m Yellow Pershore 11 D C St Julian A 3.5m
Turkish Black 6 H D 4 Colt 4m
Peregrine 7 C D Krymsk 4m

QUINCE (2)
CRAB APPLE (3)
PEAR (18) Vranja 6 B C Quince A 3.5m
Jelly King 9 K C Beurre Bedford 7 F D Quince A 3.5m Willingham Seedling 4 B C Self
Jelly King 16 L C Beurre Hardy 13 J D Quince A 3.5m
John Downie 8 H C Conference 8 E D Quince A 3.5m OTHER (1)
Conference 10 C D Quince A 3.5m Mountain ‘Ash Edulis’ 8 A C
DAMSON (3) Doyenne du Comice 12 J D Quince A 3.5m
Shropshire Prune 13 M D/C St Julian A 3.5m Fertility 11 I D Quince A 3.5m Uses Key :
Merryweather 14 M C St Julian A 3.5m Laxton’s Superb 11 H D Quince A 3.5m Dessert D
Willingham ‘Lou Thoday’ 14 N C Sucker Laxton’s Victor 12 K D Quince A 3.5m Dessert / Culinary D/C
Louise Bonne of Jersey 10 H D Quince A 3.5m Culinary C
FIG (2) Pitmaston Duchess 14 I D PC 6m + Cider CI
Brown Turkey 11 N D/C Williams’ Bon Chrétien 5 E D PC 6m + Culinary / Cider C/Cl
Brunswick 5 G D/C Winter Nellis 7 B D PC 6m + Perry P