Mansbridge Community Orchard Update

Thanks to backing from Southampton Airport Community Fund, we have been able to buy new tools and equipment for use in the Mansbridge Community Orchard. We may also need to get some professional training.

We have purchased pruning equipment; loppers, saws etc as well as picking tools. Renovating a neglected orchard, with many mature trees, will be a lengthy and on-going commitment. It will take several years to get the main trees into a decent state and longer still to sort out the less accessible areas.

In the Autumn, the real fun begins. We will begin to reap the rewards of the project; we will need to buy more fruit picking and collecting gear to help us gather the apples. We also aim to purchase processing kit, like a nice big fruit crusher and a lager cider press.

The Orchard is beginning to flower now and we must organise another Blossom Walk (provided these gales don't blow it all away). Last year we had perfect weather for the walk and had a great turn out. It is the ideal way to get to know the orchard and to familiarise the locations of all the various trees. It is much easier to recognise the fruit trees, when they are covered in bloom. It will also be a good opportunity to recruit more volunteers who want to help manage and get involved with all the other activities in the orchard.

Mansbridge Community Orchard Funding News

We Need More of These

We are very happy to announce that the Mansbridge Community Orchard has received a generous amount of financial backing from the Southampton Airport Community Fund.

We Always Need More Funding and Volunteers

We will use the money to purchase tools, training and equipment for use in the orchard and other orchard related projects. Primarily we will buy fruit picking and processing equipment (like a shiny new apple mill and cider press) but we will also invest in tree pruning training and tools.

We Need More of These

Fruit tree renovation can be a lengthy process; this is because it can only be done by degrees and during certain periods of the year. Given the number of trees in the Mansbridge Community Orchard (around 50), we believe that five years is a fairly optimistic target, for returning the majority of the trees to good health.

We Need More of These

 Last year was spent clarifying our position, mapping the area as well as keeping most of the brambles and ivy out of the easily accessible trees. All the efforts culminated in a wonderful Apple Day event, organised by the Southampton Woodcraft Folk, who have taken on an active role within the orchard.

We Need More of These

The Southampton Airport Community Fund has also promised us volunteers. We will organise another introductory Orchard Blossom Walk, when the trees come into flower (around April-May). Around this time, we will also set up a meeting for anyone else keen to get involved.

Apple Day at Mansbridge Community Orchard

The day was overcast and I had been outdoors since 9:00, my son had been playing rugby at a tournament.  Now it was 2:30 and we were heading to Mansbridge, to take part in the Apple Day Picking and Pressing event.

I’m pleased to say that the Southampton Woodcraft Folk have taken an active role in the Mansbridge Community Orchard; this event was planned and organised by them, but open to all.

We arrived, slightly late and the scene was one of tremendous animation and bustling activity. There was a big tent, lots of tables and benches, two presses, a fruit mill or scratter and loads of apples and pickers.

Everyone was doing something; bodies were crowded around tables and children were scurrying about everywhere. There was even a group of people knitting, jointly weaving a strange and interesting article (Possibly a Christmas jumper for an oddly shaped child).

After brief greetings and introductions, we recruited a small group of friends and children and set off into the trees to fill our large bags and buckets with apples.

As we picked and collected, various other participants were ferrying the vast amount of apples back to the base camp in the containers.

Back at the trestle tables, a smoothly run sequence of events was being meted out, processing the apples into juice...

The fruit was first fleetingly washed. The cores were removed and the apples sliced, by deploying a cunning little kitchen instrument that did the job in one swift action (I must get one of these).

The chopped apples were tipped into the scratter, which was powered by strong and enthusiastic children. The pulp was then emptied into the press and the screw turned down by many keen helping hands and the delicious fresh juice flowed out into waiting receptacles.

Finally, the remaining apple mush, minus the precious juice, was taken back into the trees and left to nourish the ground and wildlife.

It was a lovely, friendly event and even when it started to drizzle about 4.00, most people seemed oblivious to the weather and carried on with the communal fun.

Mansbridge Community Orchard Campaign #3

On my third visit I cycled down in my lunch hour on my back-up bike. My number one bike had received a smashed rear wheel on my way to work the previous week, courtesy of a careless driver. If I had been cycling any slower it could have been bye bye Urbane Forager!

This time I had added guidance thanks to local explorer, Bob Painton, Bob is also a very good nature photographer and when I asked if he could take some shots of the fruit in Mansbridge, he did an outstanding job. You can see some of Bob's shots on the Campaign Page or visit his photo stream.

This trip, the third area by the deer stop (next to the fen) revealed itself. It was filled with apple trees with some pears amongst them. I met a local woman named Natalia, she was photographing the apples, I was picking a few and exploring the area.

Massive Comice Pears

On the way home I met Penny and her dog who kindly took this photograph for me – that is the Man’s Bridge behind me and yes, my pannier is filled with Mansbridge apples.



A Rainy Day in Mansbridge on my Back-up Bike



In total there must be at least 50 fruit trees on this Green Space. They are all on the Council's carefully managed land.

The apple and pear trees have grown wild for a number of years now and consequently some of the fruit is quite small but others are full of big red, yellow and green beauties. If the trees were properly pruned the harvest would be greater and the apples bigger and better tasting.

Apples Amongst Flytipped Rubbish - Such a Shame

I do not think that it would take too much time, with the help of a small team of local volunteers and the backing of the City Council with the Park Rangers, to clear the rubbish from this delightfuly wild space and create a Community Orchard.

This proposal will can benefit the area, as well as anyone in the city that cares enough to be involved. It can be used to educate school children about healthy eating and to engage with the natural environment. We could even supply local schools with juice to drink and fruit to eat or cook with.

Establishing a Community Orchard will require permission from the Council as well as working together with advice from the Park Rangers. Some fencing/hedging could be used to protect environmentally sensitive areas and pathways could be carefuly cleared for improved access. The trees will need to be gradually pruned to promote suitable growth and larger fruit. We could plant some plum and cherry trees, to benefit from their earlier fruiting and possibly develop a hazel coppice to use for fencing and nuts.

The Community Orchard can be a beautiful blossom-filled place to walk in the spring. It could be used for picnics and outdoor events in the summer. In the autumn of course we will all be able to benefit from free fruit. All this needs to be carefully balanced with the need to protect the wilderness for the good of plant and animal life.

Beautiful Autumnal Leaves

Anyone willing to offer support of any kind (physical, financial or advisory), please contact us here.

Your Community Orchard Needs You!

Mansbridge Community Orchard Campaign #2

On my second visit I investigated the other side of the green, where I met Richard, a local man, in amongst the trees.

Richard said that people constantly moan about the economy but he has never seen anyone else (apart from me) picking the abundant free fruit available here. He has three small freezers in his flat – filled to the brim with stewed apples, blackberries and other fruit. He also makes jams, chutney, pies and anything else he can find recipes for.

Like myself, Richard had created his own fruit picking tool kit, he also advised me where another local walnut tree was - and a big cranberry bush.

In exchange, I shinned up the apple tree and dropped fruit down for him to catch until we had filled his bag up.

I then showed him the huge Comice Pears on a nearby tree.

So he helped me pick enough Sloes to make Sloe Wine and Sloe Gin.

Reciprocation, cooperation, teamwork, collaboration sharing community – call it what you will - it is always a potent thing.

If you are a mover or a shaker - please visit the new Campaign Page and get involved in the Campaign for a Community Orchard in Mansbridge.

The Coincidence on St Catherine’s

 

A Small Walnut Tree Atop The Hill

We had heard reports of walnut trees on St Catherine’s Hill near Winchester and our nut gathering had been met with some serious competition from the local kids on the town trees. So, on an unseasonably hot October day, we set off to explore the ancient hill fort and see if we could find a new supply.

A Good Day For a Stroll In - Plague Pits Valley!

The first obstacle to our expedition was that the small car park by the river Itchen was full – I have heard rumours about plans by Sustrans (the cycle network) to reopen the Victorian viaduct for bikes. This would be a massively ambitious project but could create a fantastic cycle track down the old railway route.

The Steep Embankments Can Be Quite Challenging

In the event we managed to squeeze in via the tradesman’s entrance and walk up past the Donga’s traveller camp, which is next to the reservoirs at the back of the hill. Their tarpaulin/tent dwellings and old vans with wood-burning stoves are a window into a very different way of living; it does not look at all comfortable to me but they do have a very big garden, even if it is called Plague Pits Valley. I am pretty sure that they don’t have to pay council tax or have a mortgage to worry about though.

Crowning Glory of Beech

On a hot day the walk up St. Catherine’s can be hard work but all the effort is always well rewarded when you reach the summit.

Children Marching the Mysterious Mismaze

Once you get to the top of the hill, stunning views over Winchester open up. The brow of the hill is crowned with a circular clump of glorious beech trees. There is also an ancient turf labyrinthine pattern carved into the hilltop called the Mismaze.

I Spy Apple Pie!

While the children zoomed about the Mismaze – I scuttled off to examine a couple of suspiciously walnut-like trees I had seen. They were indeed walnuts but they had been picked dry, presumably by the travellers – no nuts, never mind!

One of the Large Walnut Trees on St Catherine's Hill

However, it didn't take long before my Fruit Radar picked up tasty looking red apples on a small briar covered tree; if only I had brought my fruit picker with me. I got stung and prickled a fair bit but managed to get a few apples into my bag and they were lovely to eat with the blackberries.

Ready to Run Downhill...

Then, in a weird moment of synchronicity (strange things often occur atop prehistoric hillforts), we chanced upon someone I had worked with by email but not met in person. Chris is a freelance designer who was employed on my latest martial art book project Wing Chun: the Works.

Cooling Our Jets In The Itchen River

On the way down the hill we crunched on the foraged apples and found several more large walnut trees, all of them with no trace of nuts but definitely worth remembering for visiting (earlier) next year. Finally we cooled our hot feet in the soothing waters of the river Itchen before grabbing a few hazelnuts on the way back to the Dongas.

Ooh! That's Better.

The Second Barrel

Apparently the Second Barrel is a term used in poker, it could also be a film by Guy Ritchie but at the Urbane Forager we do not approve of gambling nor criminal film making.

So, we are obviously talking about apple juice or Cider Pressing.



Cider Making - Fun For All The Family



As I fretted over breakfast, about how I could accomplish my aims, I realised that the first problem was composed of containers or more precisely, the lack of them. A lot of buckets are required for storing, washing, pulping, juicing into and fermenting and there didn’t seem to be enough receptacles. In the end, I worked backwards by emptying the first lot of fermenting cider into a barrel, then I set about washing and sterilising everything else including the apple press.



The Battering Ram in Action



Grandma had come over for lunch and to help with the garden – little did she suspect that she was about to be roped into the role of Chief Chopper and Guardian of the Very Sharp Knife. She was obviously very experienced and did a fantastic job, I hope her hands didn’t ache too much the next day.

Red Apples - From The Picknik

As my daughter was off to a birthday party, the boy was in charge of keeping Grandma topped up with washed apples, filling the press and turning the screw. Meanwhile, I was coordinating the chain of buckets, generally shouting encouragement and stirring my tired limbs into continued action with the battering ram, smashing fun. I did eventually resort to the use of power tools – otherwise I feared we would never get the job finished.

Maybe It Will Be A Rose

The lovely soft red apples from the Picknik were first through the mill and their red flesh gave a pink tinge to the juice as it flooded out of the press. Next came the big jucy apples from the common, they produce an essence, which the children have named the White Delight.

White Delight - Apples From Southampton Little Common

Finally, a mixed bucket of the leftovers from the apple store and the Woolston deep-red crunchers were added. By this time my daughter and the head Chef were back into the fray.

 

Guess What's In That Cup?

Eventually, after I hosed down all the equipment, the weekend of hard labour was over, we had reached my self-appointed objective (5 gallons of apple juice) and I for one - felt we truly deserved a delicious glass of cool, fresh, tasty Apple Juice!