Ditchling Village Orchard

03/10/2025

Apple Day - Sunday 5th Oct - 11am to 4pm
Village green and barn - come and join us!

Apple Day on the Village Green is rapidly approaching - it's on Sunday 5th October, 2025, from 11am to 4pm. Bring your apples, pears and containers to..

01/02/2025

January 2025 Orchard news
As this is our first 2025 newsletter we wish you all a Happy New Year. The Orchard has looked after itself during the winter and will soon put its energy into new growth.

This is Ditchling Orchard's 10th anniversary year. We first prepared and planted in February 2014. Photos from that time show us being taught by Bryn and Peter from Brighton Permaculture Trust. When Turner Dumbrell Foundation offered the land for community use the idea of an orchard was born. Village individuals and organizations donated trees. The Orchard became part of HKD, now Greener Hassocks and Ditchling, who continue to support us. Penny Mitchell must be mentioned as she not only helped to start the Orchard and also set up Ditchling's first Apple Day in 2014. Sadly Penny died two years later but her drive and enthusiasm live on in the rest of us. Apple Day has gone from strength to strength and we are very thankful to Simon Woplin for taking on its organization. We are so grateful for all the help and support offered through these 10 years and hope we can continue to look after the Orchard with your help into the future. I have written the newsletter for about 8 years and it is time to hand this role onto someone else. Happily Eilidh Ardagh has stepped forward to take this on so a big thank you is due to her. Other changes are taking place too as I am also stepping back from a main role in the orchard and its activities. I've so enjoyed this role, amongst other things meeting so many new people, the excitement of Apple Day and the involvement of Ditchling St Margaret's Forest School. We are still seeking helpers to join our group and support the Orchard in various ways. We always welcome feedback and ideas as to how you'd like to see the Orchard develop so please get in touch via the email at the bottom of the page if you can contribute in any way no matter how big or small.

MAINTENANCE MORNING: Sunday 2nd March 10am.
Maintenance mornings begin again on Sunday 2nd March. After that sessions will run on the first sunday of the month until the autumn. Keep an eye in case there are any date changes which might happen if they fall on bank holiday weekends. On 2nd March Liz Leach, Simon Morley and Ben Inman will help guide us with pruning and other maintenance jobs. Do join them, bring tools and gloves if you have them and also a drink. Keep an eye on our page in case of last minute changes if weather is bad.

ORCHARD FUNDS
Thanks to your generosity at Apple Day we now have enough funds to pay for our insurance, orchard incidentals and enough to spare to donate to the newly formed Ditchling Naturespace. The ideas for this space are wonderful, if you want to see their progress follow the above link.

GREENER HASSOCKS AND DITCHLING NEWS
If you would like to receive their monthly newsletter contact them at [email protected]. There is lots going on. Of particular interest might be the following
Dig Days Are Over [Online]
This short but helpful article on the Sussex Wildlife Trust's website explains why giving up the hard work of 'digging over the soil' is actually the best way to maintain the good soil structure that is essential for healthy plants.
and
Ditchling Beacon Dark Sky Discovery Site

HASSOCKS MARKET AND REPAIR CAFE: 9.30-11.30am Saturday 25 January. This. takes place on 4th Saturday monthly at Hassocks Age Concern car park. The Repair cafe offers repairs to all sorts of things (follow the link) plus the cafe offers really nice hot and cold drinks and very good homemade cakes. The village market is full of delicious fare, plants and other products. Always worth a visit.

MORE ABOUT SOIL: 'Six Inches of Soil' If you get the chance try to see this film. Maybe Ditchling Film society might show it.

THE GROWING NETWORK are back. Saturday 8th February 10.30-12pm
at the Quaker Meeting House in East Gardens. To celebrate their second anniversary they are offering relaxing hand massages along with gardening advice. There will also be a seed swap but if you don't have seeds it doesn't matter. Just go along, you will get a warm welcome.

BIG GARDEN BIRD WATCH RSPB 24-26 January
The Big Garden Bird Watch is upon us again. Visit their website for lots of advice and to find out how to take part, or just to see the findings which are fascinating.


Tae Chisholm
for the Ditchling Orchard Team

The Ditchling Village Orchard is managed by voluntary group Greener Hassocks and Ditchling. For more orchard news and to learn more about Greener Hassocks and Ditchling, see website at www.hkdtransition.org.uk. You can contact the Orchard Group via email address [email protected]

We are grateful to the Turner Dumbrell Foundation for making their land available for the Ditchling Village Orchard and supporting many of our activities.

20/11/2024

A little reminder that tomorrow, Thurs 21st Nov, we have our AGM and film showing 'Six Inches of Soil' 🌱

Join us at 7.30pm for our AGM, followed by a screening of the recent popular film 'Six Inches of
Soil', which follows the inspiring stories of three young farmers working to change the way they produce food to benefit nature, health, and local communities. All welcome, look forward to seeing you!

20/11/2024

AGM of Greener Hassocks and Ditchling tomorrow evening Thu 21 November with a very interesting film afterwards.

A little reminder that tomorrow, Thurs 21st Nov, we have our AGM and film showing 'Six Inches of Soil' 🌱

Join us at 7.30pm for our AGM, followed by a screening of the recent popular film 'Six Inches of
Soil', which follows the inspiring stories of three young farmers working to change the way they produce food to benefit nature, health, and local communities. All welcome, look forward to seeing you!

30/10/2024

October 2024 Orchard news
Our big October event was Apple Day on the Village Green. We held our nerve as rain was forecast but happily on the day it held off until packing up time. We had such a great band of volunteers to get the day rolling and run the various events - Apple Pressing, Bar (thank you to John at the White Horse for donating the Harveys), Cuppas and Cakes, Smoothie Bike, Books and Bird feeders, Welly Wanging, Musicians, Morris Dancers, Brighton Folk Choir and Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft. Thanks to all the local organisations, including the Mac Farm for donating their eggs, that came out to support us as well as a wide range of other stalls - too many to name but you offered a wonderful variety of choice. Thank you to all and to Simon Woplin, the maestro who made it all happen. In due course I'll be putting photos on our page if you'd like to re-live the day.

MAINTENANCE MORNING: spring to autumn 1st Sunday in the month.
Regular maintenance sessions are over for this year as not much needs doing during the winter months. We start up again next Spring but before that we will have a pruning and checking the trees maintenance session, so keep a look out for that date that I'll send round early next year.

WINTER ROTA VOLUNTEERS
Having just visited the Orchard and found some slightly concerning issues I think it would be good to set up a visitor rota through the winter. So for any of you out on a walk near the Orchard would you sign up? You'd just need to check all is well and if you find anything concerning, report back. I found the lid half off the water butt and the watering cans a bit scattered rather than in one place near the butt. Also the table/bench that lives in the shelter was outside (probably left over from the Apple Day visit). So it would be things like that that you would be looking for. Please message me or whatsapp me on 07754 706198 if you can help.

FOREST SCHOOL VISITS: Ditchling St Margaret's School will be bringing some of their children to visit the Orchard in December.

HELP SAVE THE STRATEGIC GAP - DITCHLING NATURESPACE: 9th November 2-4pm at THE BARN ON THE GREEN: Repeated presentations throughout the afternoon
The village has an opportunity to:
• buy the field immediately west of the new village carpark
• promote and develop the natural habitat bio-diversity
• protect the Strategic gap into perpetuity

Ditchling Naturespace has been created by members of the village to drive the ideas forward.
They need you to build the vision and support the project. Join them to find out more and pledge your support.

If you want to be kept up to date but can't get along on the 9th, contact Hugh St. John on [email protected] or 07825 276058

GREENER HASSOCKS AND DITCHLING NEWS
PARTY AT THE PATCH: On 28 September Party at the Patch took place - a really lovely event on a sunny afternoon with stalls, music, delicious food, a bar and children's activities
Check out Greener's website and page for other events. If you would like to receive their monthly newsletter contact them at [email protected].

HASSOCKS MARKET AND REPAIR CAFE: 9.30-11.30am Saturday 23rd November. Takes place on 4th Saturday monthly (no market or repair shop in December) at Hassocks Age Concern car park. The Repair cafe offers repairs to all sorts of things (follow the link) plus the cafe offers really nice hot and cold drinks and delicious homemade cakes. The village market is full of delicious fare, plants and other products. Always worth a visit.

GREENER HASSOCKS AND DITCHLING AGM AND FILM: Thursday 21 November.
7.30-9.45pm Green Room, Adastra Hall, Keymer Road, Hassocks.
Join them at 7.30pm for the AGM followed by a screening of the recent popular film 'Six Inches of Soil', which follows the inspiring stories of three young farmers working to change the way they produce food to benefit nature, health and local communities.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: would you like a BARN OWL BOX - locally made by a young man in Ditchling? He has made several and has a spare that he would like to sell. It is made to a specified design for Barn Owls and he would charge about £100 to cover materials and time. Bearing in mind that barn owl boxes of this standard cost in the region of £170, this is a bargain. If you'd like to know more or see a photo, message or ring Julie on 07542 954523

Wishing you all a healthy and happy winter and look out for our next date for a meet up via our page or via another newsletter

Tae Chisholm
for the Ditchling Orchard Team

The Ditchling Village Orchard is managed by voluntary group Greener Hassocks and Ditchling. For more orchard news and to learn more about Greener Hassocks and Ditchling, see website at www.hkdtransition.org.uk. You can contact the Orchard Group via email address [email protected]

We are grateful to the Turner Dumbrell Foundation for making their land available for the Ditchling Village Orchard and supporting many of our activities.

07/10/2024

Apple Day was great fun as usual, plenty of people turned up to enjoy the day and I'll post some photos later. Meantime, two people lost their sunglasses which are precious to them. Did anyone pick up sunglasses? If so let me know via David at the Post Office or via Simon Woplin or here on FB. Thanks. Tae

05/10/2024

Apple Day 2024 on Ditchling's Village Green
11-4 tomorrow Sunday 6th. Look forward to seeing you all there

17/09/2024

September 2024 Orchard news
The sun shone on our last Maintenance Morning and 12 lovely volunteers arrived to persuade the orchard into shape. Paths were mown, some of the trees were mulched, brambles and nettles were consigned to the compost heap.

SUSSEX NATURE PARTNERSHIP AND RECOVERY
The absolute highlight of the morning was Julie Middleton's visit. Julie (a Ditchling resident) is from the Sussex Nature Partnership which works with farmers, landowners and land managers to develop Local Nature Recovery Strategies. (LNRS) are a new, statutory process that will help direct future effort and funding, such as Biodiversity Net Gain, to the places which will have the most benefit for nature. Two LNRS will be created to cover Sussex, one for West Sussex and the other for East Sussex (including Brighton & Hove). If you own a piece of land, are a farmer or land manager Julie urges you to go to the website and fill in the survey. The survey for individuals has now closed but yielded valuable information about what people would like to see happen in their area. Julie showed us mapping of areas, eg woodland, heathland, chalk grassland that are currently separated but would benefit from being joined up stretching from the weald through to the sea and gave examples. Do go on their website to find out more and fill in the survey
Sussex Nature Recovery | Sussex Nature Recovery.

NEXT MAINTENANCE MORNING: Sunday 22nd September 9.30-11.30am
This will be our last tidy up before Apple Day. We now have a scyther, Ben went on the Brighton Permaculture Trust's scything workshop and is keen to practice his skills We hope you will come along to help us. Bring a drink, gloves and tools for weeding and chopping (especially rakes to remove the scythed grass). If you have no tools, come anyway as we will have some spare.

APPLE DAY ON THE VILLAGE GREEN Sunday 6th October 11am-4pm. : Apple Day is almost upon us and posters are going up around the village and on social media. The barn, scruncher and apple presses are booked and Simon Woplin and his team will be contacting the many village organisations and others who support us, so if you'd like to run a stall or activity Simon would love to hear from you, contact him on 07521264811. Start collecting your apples and bottles to take your apple juice home with you

HELP...HELP...HELP! Apple day is run entirely on volunteers and we need a few more of you to offer us some help on the day. We still need help with setting up and taking down, help serving Cuppas and Cakes, help making cakes and bakes (list of all ingredients must be provided), help with the apple pressing and helping out at the bar. Please do contact Simon 07521 264811 or me (Tae 07754 706198) if you can spare a couple of hours.

Cake and bake donations in the Barn and help on the day. Let Karen or Inge know if you can

donate a cake or bake (must be labelled with all ingredients)
help in the morning or afternoon
serve hot drinks and sell cakes
Contact Karen Grey or Inge Roberts via the Ditchling Orchard email below. or message us on FB

Purchase of land adjacent to the new car park:
A meeting has taken place about what to do with this land. The meeting looked at how to fundraise to pay back the family that has bought it for the for the use of the village (but need paying back) and to fund the maintenance of the land over the coming years. This is very exciting and reassuring news for the village and much thanks must go to the family concerned. If you can help in any way do contact the current co-ordinator Hugh St John who is putting together a preliminary working group to get things going with the idea that fundraising will start in the autumn. Any thoughts on how to raise funds and what to do with the land would be welcome. contact [email protected] 07825 276058

GREENER HASSOCKS AND DITCHLING NEWS
PARTY AT THE PATCH (behind Age Concern). Saturday 28 September 3-7pm Lots of fun to be had including music from Poni Mitchell, story telling, kid's crafts and activities, silver rocket craft beer and hedgecraft spirits. Suggested donation £5.00 per adult. Greener Hassocks and Ditchling are celebrating one year since their relaunch.
Check out their website and page for other events. If you would like to receive their monthly newsletter contact them at [email protected].

HASSOCKS MARKET AND REPAIR CAFE: 9.30-11.30am Sat 28th September. Takes place on 4th Saturday monthly at Hassocks Age Concern car park. The Repair cafe offers repairs to all sorts of things plus the cafe offers really nice coffee, other drinks and delicious homemade cakes. The village market is full of delicious fare, plants and other products. Always worth a visit.

Hope to see you at the next Maintenance Morning in the Orchard on Boddington's Lane, Ditchling Sunday 22nd September, 9.30-11.30, and of course at Apple Day on the Green Sunday 6th October, 11am - 4pm.

Tae Chisholm
for the Ditchling Orchard Team

The Ditchling Village Orchard is managed by voluntary group Greener Hassocks and Ditchling. For more orchard news and to learn more about Greener Hassocks and Ditchling, see website at www.hkdtransition.org.uk. You can contact the Orchard Group via email address [email protected]

We are grateful to the Turner Dumbrell Foundation for making their land available for the Ditchling Village Orchard and supporting many of our activities.

12/09/2024

Ditchling's Apple Day is fast approaching, Sunday 6th October, Ditchling Village Green 11am - 4pm. We still need some volunteers to help on the apple pressing and serving cuppas and cakes. Come and join us and have fun.

31/08/2024

Maintenance Morning tomorrow, Sun 1st at Ditchling Village Orchard, Boddingtons Lane. come at 9.30am - 11.30am or come at 10.30am to hear Julie Middleton from Sussex Nature Recovery tell us about their work and feedback to her our wishes for nature strategies. Bring secateurs and shears, tough gloves, if you have them. We'll be chopping back nettles and brambles, laying compost round the trees and more.

04/08/2024

We did the Great British Butterfly Count. Sadly the sky was a bit overcast and we found only one gatekeeper butterfly during the 15 minutes we observed. Last year we had quite a few more.
On the plus side we found more than a few cinnabar moth caterpillars which feed on the leaves and flowers of ragwort.

Be part of this nationwide survey and help take the pulse of nature. Butterfly declines reveal the poor health of the environment. We need your sightings.

27/07/2024

Issue no 2: July 2024 Orchard news
Sunday 7th July maintenance morning turned out to be extremely wet. With 80 - 90% rain predicted we cancelled the talk from Julie Middleton from Sussex Nature Recovery. She will try again on Sunday September 1st. A few of us managed to turn up. Mainly we picked off excess fruitlets and did a bit of weeding. Other than that we sat under the shelter, drank coffee and had a good blether. The James Grieve apple is doing very well this year, the other trees less so, not much fruit. Not sure why, we had good blossom, but maybe there was too much wet weather to get pollination done, or they just needed a rest. We positioned one of our new benches on paving slabs at the end of the orchard. It's a lovely peaceful place to sit in the evening with the sun setting in the west.

Pear Leaf Rust, (see photo)
Every year we have some of this on our pear trees. Internet advice is as follows: "Its a common fungal disease. The Bright orange spots appear on leaves in summer, and later on you will notice brown galls under the leaves. This fungus needs a live host to survive, so overwinters on nearby juniper plants. It’s almost impossible to get rid of - the sores are windburned and can travel long distances and there are no effective fungicides for fruit trees. If only a few leaves are affected pick them off, but like blister mite you should leave badly infected trees alone. It looks unsightly, but doesn’t cause much harm on an otherwise healthy tree." We don't have any juniper trees in the orchard but there must be some nearby. Leaves should be burnt or at least not put in your compost.

Next Maintenance Session Sunday 4th August9.30-11.30am
We'll continue with maintenance jobs - more picking off excess apples, keeping nettles in check, clearing grasses from around our wild flowers, watering our new trees and so on. We do purposefully keep areas of nettles and brambles as for instance nettles are a food plant for Red Admirals, small Tortoiseshells, Commas and several other species. We'll also be doing our Big Butterfly Count. Do come along and help.
On the strimming front Simon has done a grand job of strimming paths through the long grass and Ben has agreed to help him with the final strim. Thanks very much to you both.

BIG BUTTERFLY COUNT: visit their website to register your chosen space and get their chart. You can carry out your survey anytime between 12 July and 4th August. Choose a spot to watch for butterflies and moths for 15 minutes then record which species you see. Finally add your counts onto their website or app. You can look at their interactive map to see how your data is contributing to conservation science and research.

If any of you can offer help with the following we'd be so grateful.

Forest School visits from Ditchling St. Margarets: We now have a request from the school to bring their Reception Class to the orchard on 8th November. We really like being able to introduce the children to the orchard and engage them in outdoor activity. We've had great times with all the forest school children and have as much fun as they do, they are so interested and enthusiastic. The school brings plenty of adult help as well. Our current coordinator has had to step down for health reasons and we hope one or two of you might step up to share this role. We'd be happy to offer backup. Why not try it as a one off and see how you like it?
If you'd like to find out more about this role, do contact us via the email at the bottom of the newsletter or directly message me on 07754 706198.
Many thanks to the following:
Apple Day Cakes and Cuppas coordinator: We are so grateful to Inge and Karen who have kindly offered to organise the cakes and cuppas for us at Apple Day. We know so many of you help support us by offering to help on the day and / or to donate your cakes and bakes, so I'm sure you'll step up again this year and support them in their role. Any time from now on, do let us know what you can offer via the email at the end of this letter.
Paving Slabs, Thanks so much to those of you that offered us paving slabs. The bench is now sitting upon them at the east end of the orchard, facing west.
Watering our two new trees: Thanks to all who volunteered for this. We now have a rota taking us through to the autumn.

APPLE DAY ON THE VILLAGE GREEN Sunday 6th October. : Apple Day is getting closer. The barn, scruncher and apple presses are booked and Simon Woplin and his team will be contacting the many village organisations and others who support us, so if you'd like to run a stall or activity we'd love to hear from you, either via the email below or to Simon direct 07521264811. Start collecting bottles to take your apple juice home with you and as importantly consider offering us your help on the day as Apple Day runs entirely on volunteers.

GREENER HASSOCKS AND DITCHLING NEWS
Check out their website and page. If you would like to receive their monthly newsletter contact them at [email protected].

HASSOCKS MARKET AND REPAIR CAFE: 9.30-11.30am Sat 24th August. Takes place on 4th Saturday monthly at Hassocks Age Concern car park. The Repair cafe offers repairs to all sorts of things plus the cafe offers really nice coffee, other drinks and delicious homemade cakes. The village market is full of delicious fare, plants and other products. Always worth a visit.

RIDE PINGO
Have you tried this flexibus service yet? From 29 July they are replacing the zone arrangement with one zone so you'll be able to travel anywhere within a 14 mile radius of your pick up point within it. It even will take you across to West Sussex destinations - Hassocks, Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath. What's not to like? Check it all out at the East Sussex County Council website. You can download the app or book by telephone.

Hope to see some of you at the next Maintenance Morning in the Orchard on Boddington's Lane, Ditchling Sunday 4th August, 9.30-11.30.

Tae Chisholm
for the Ditchling Orchard Team

The Ditchling Village Orchard is managed by voluntary group Greener Hassocks and Ditchling. For more orchard news and to learn more about Greener Hassocks and Ditchling, see website at www.hkdtransition.org.uk. You can contact the Orchard Group via email address [email protected]

We are grateful to the Turner Dumbrell Foundation for making their land available for the Ditchling Village Orchard and supporting many of our activities.