Fruit lovers can make better sense of Marlborough’s award-winning community orchard, thanks to a pair of interpretation boards, unveiled on Saturday to mark National Tree Week.
The information boards outline the project to create a Town in an Orchard by planting rare Wiltshire varieties of apple, which otherwise faced extinction.
The boards – designed for Marlborough Community Orchard by Mark Saunders and funded by Marlborough Town Council– also maps the 25 apple, pear, plum, damson, cherry, quince and medlar trees on the site, and acknowledges the sponsors who paid for the planting.
Besides preserving old varieties of fruit, the orchard is also intended as a free fruit larder for the people of the town – anyone is welcome to pick and eat the fruit.
The boards were unveiled by Alison Galvin-Wright, wife of the late Jeffrey Galvin-Wright, who designed the Diamond Jubilee Plantation on Marlborough Common.
At the heart of the diamond-shaped orchard is a mulberry tree – one of 60 trees granted to local groups nationwide to celebrate the Queen’s 60th year on the throne by the Tree Council of Great Britain.
Attendees – who came armed with gardening tools for a spot of weeding and mulching – were reminded that this year’s Britain in Bloom South West Cup for Best Community Initiative was won by Marlborough Community Orchard.
Another convincing away win for Marlborough against Fairford
