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Chaul End community orchard

Nestled between Chaul End Community Centre and Downside Primary School, around 25 fruit trees stand here in species-rich grassland. The first plantings took place at some time before 2008. Additions were made by the Peace Garden Initiative in 2023 and Luton Council's Nature Conservation Volunteers in 2024.

Summary

Location: Chaul End
Size: 0.05ha
Number of trees: 25
Crops: apple, pear, plum
Age of trees: recently planted trees, young trees, established trees
Access: any time, council-owned
Natural England incremental ID: BEDF0434

History

The beginnings of this orchard have been lost in the mists of time, but Luton Council's Parks and Countryside department believes the older trees are from before 2008. In 2023, the Peace Garden Initiative planted 27 trees in the orchard.

Children from Downside Primary School helped with watering to help establish them. Many of the trees were destroyed by vandals in January 2024, but were replanted that month with improved stakes and guards.

Replacing vandalised trees in January 2024. Cardboard from the recycling pile at the Chaul End Community Centre was used as a weed-suppressing layer and woodchip mulch was put on top of it.

Crop types and cultivars at Chaul End community orchard

Many trees have not been identified yet, but Luton Orchards is trying to establish what they are.

Location Type Cultivar Planting date

Row 1/01 Prunus unknown unknown

Row 1/02 Malus Geniton 2024

Row 1/03 Malus Laxton's Superb 2023

Row 1/04 Malus unknown unknown

Row 1/05 Malus unknown unknown

Row 2/01 Prunus unknown unknown

Row 2/02 Malus Hormead Pearmain 2023

Row 2/03 Malus unknown 2023/24

Row 2/04 Malus unknown unknown

Row 2/05 Malus unknown unknown

Row 3/01 Prunus unknown unknown

Row 3/02 Pyrus unknown 2023

Row 3/03 Malus S.T. Wright 2023/24

Row 3/04 Malus unknown unknown

Row 3/05 Malus unknown unknown

Row 4/01 Pyrus Caldecote 2024

Row 4/02 Malus Golden Russet (Allgrove) 2024

Row 4/03 Malus unknown 2023

Row 4/04 Malus S.T. Wright 2023

Row 4/05 Malus Cox's Orange Pippin 2024

Row 5/01 Pyrus Hazel 2024

Row 5/02 Malus Lord Lambourne 2024

Row 5/03 Pyrus Beurre Bedford 2024

Row 5/04 Malus Bazeley 2023?

Row 5/05 Malus Margil 2023?

Apple tree in fruit. Unknown variety - could it be a Laxton?

Species-rich grassland with an orchid and lady's bedstraw.

Maintenance and pruning

The established trees appear to have been largely unpruned for much of their life. Guards or fencing have grown into the trunks in some places. Luton Orchards carried out some careful pruning at the re-planting day in January 2024.