A juicy future for new Killerton Orchard

On Wednesday 20 February, National Trust staff and volunteers came together with the ‘Great Trees in the Clyst Valley’ project to plant a new orchard on the Killerton estate. The orchard is the ninth that is looked after by the Killerton ranger team, with 48 people rallying together on the day to get stuck in and get dirt under their nails.

38 orchard trees of dessert and cooking apples were planted in total, including varieties such as Cornish Aromatic, Blenheim Orange and Sunset. The new crop of apples will one day help to support the harvest that feeds into the juice produced by the Killerton team. A new hedge was also planted around the perimeter of the orchard that will support a wide variety of wildlife including dormice, birds and insects.

The day was the first in a calendar of events to celebrate ‘Seeing the Wood and the Trees’; the theme for Killerton in 2019. The ‘Seeing the Wood and the Trees’ events and exhibition at Killerton run alongside the Forestry Commission centenary, to recognise Sir Francis Dyke Acland’s significant contribution to forestry in the early 20th century. 

To find out more about the events and exhibition at Killerton, visit the website athttps://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/killerton.

National Trust Killerton would like to say a big thank you to event sponsors, the ‘Great Trees in the Clyst Valley’ project for providing the fruit trees.