🌿 New Bench at the Community Orchard 🌿

We are pleased to confirm that a new bench has now been delivered and installed at the Community Orchard off Hollow Hill Road.

We hope it will be enjoyed by many residents and visitors as a place to sit, relax and take in the surroundings. 🌳

The Ditchingham Community Orchard continues to thrive thanks to the dedication of Bungay Conservation Volunteers. During a recent session, volunteers worked hard to remove invasive plants, clear around young fruit trees and apply protective mulching, helping them to establish and flourish.

It is encouraging to see the Orchard developing into a peaceful and attractive space, enjoyed by both residents and wildlife, with early blossom appearing and birds active in the hedgerows.

The Parish Council is very grateful for the continued support of Bungay Conservation Volunteers. A new bench has now been delivered and will be installed shortly, providing a place for visitors to sit and enjoy the surroundings. Further volunteer sessions, including hedge planting later in the year, are planned as the Orchard continues to grow for the benefit of the whole community.

Bungay Conservation Volunteers are pleased to report a successful application to The Woodland Trust, securing 270 hedging whip plants. These will be delivered or collected in November and planted to create a secondary hedge alongside the existing one, enhancing habitat for bird life. Stakes and guards are already available, providing a valuable community planting opportunity in the autumn.

The group will return on 10 April to carry out seasonal work, including maintaining hedge lines, caring for fruit trees, clearing weeds and mulching using recycled straw.

Spring is now visible across the site, with daffodils in bloom along the fence line.

Ditchingham Parish Council and the local community wish to record their thanks to the Volunteers for their continued hard work and commitment to maintaining and improving the area.

The Bungay Conservation Volunteers met at Ditchingham’s Community Orchard on Friday 12th December 2025 for a productive winter working session.

Both new hedge lines were tended, with some guards removed and light pruning carried out where necessary. Weeds were cleared along the hedge lines and around the bases of the fruit trees, as well as the oak and walnut trees, to help improve growing conditions and airflow.

A significant number of invasive Alexanders were pulled up and dug out to help prevent further spread. Along the bare wire fence, a mixed line of Daffodil bulbs was planted to provide early spring colour and support pollinators. Wildflower seeds were also sown to encourage greater biodiversity within the Orchard area.

Ditchingham Parish Council would like to thank the Bungay Conservation Volunteers for giving their time and effort. These seasonal tasks play an important role in keeping the Orchard healthy, accessible and wildlife friendly for the benefit of the whole parish.

Despite the rain, we had an enjoyable and productive day in the orchard! We visited a parishioner’s garden, where we carefully dug up the offered three small walnut trees and replanted them as a ‘trinity’ in the orchard, just to the right of the gate as you look into the green space.

A photo of the largest tree was printed and presented to the parishioner as a small token of thanks for their generosity. 

We also made an effort to trim the hedge along the roadside, but as it proved unsafe with passing traffic, this will be revisited when conditions allow.

The next orchard session will take place on Friday 12th December 2025, when we plan to tidy the hedging, plant bulbs along the fence where there are gaps, and, if possible, dig up another walnut tree that has become entangled with an apple tree in the parishioner’s garden.

Bungay Conservation Volunteers 

Ditchingham Parish Council would like to thank the Bungay Conservation Volunteers for their continued hard work and dedication in maintaining the Community Orchard and keeping it a lovely space for residents and visitors to enjoy.

A Huge Thank You to TCV Bungay! – Ditchingham Orchard Workday

Ditchingham Parish Council would like to thank TCV Bungay for their fantastic work at Ditchingham Orchard, Lower Wells Close!

The team planted three resilient crab apple trees, hoping they will thrive where two oaks previously struggled due to poor soil. To give them the best start, they added compost and mycorrhizal fungi to the roots.

They also dug out a lot more rubble and used the Allen scythe to cut a long pathway around the site—though the grass was already quite short, a thorough cut and rake was carried out.

In addition, they cleared around the base of all trees, including the hedges planted previously, and mulched the trees with wool. A bit of light pruning was also done to keep the area in good shape.

The orchard is looking fantastic—thank you, TCV Bungay, for your hard work and dedication!

The Heritage Orchard at Hollow Hill is planted with these apple tree varieties and once matured we hope parishioners will enjoy their fruits. The full history of each variety is listed below and can be found on the website www.applesandorchards.org.uk

Orchard planting on Hollow Hill Road today – 10 oak trees and 30 fruit trees which are Heritage Fruit Tree-varieties in the East of England. (Apples and orchards.org.uk) Supported by the South Norfolk Council , Norfolk CC and Ditchingham Parish Council.

Further hedge planting planned for the 20th of February – come along to give a hand or see our works if you would like to support our ongoing Orchard Project.