The Coombeshead Orchard

In 2018 we were lucky enough to be visited by The Woodland Trust and The Ancient Tree Forum of Cornwall who were interested in a site visit to inspect our trees in the valley. Their findings can be seen in their report found on the History & Conservation page. It was on this site visit we first met Ben Norwood, now project officer for Forests for Cornwall.

In late 2021 we found ourselves in touch with Ben again as he came back for a site visit to explore what options may be available to us for regenerating the valley and its lost trees, and for a more extensive agroforestry project in our front field.

With Ben’s help, and the help of James & Mary Martin, a remarkable couple weho have dedicated much of their lives to the conservation and regeneration of the apple and cherry varieties native to the Tamar valley. Throughout the autumn and winter of 2022, with their advice and help, we planned and plotted an avenued orchard in our front field. An orchard that might work in harmony with our grazing animals and that will, in time, produce fruit for the farm and beyond.

Based on James and Mary’s advice, and from their grafts, we opted for the following apples and cherries; a mix of early, mid and late fruiting varieties that might see us with a harvest from September through to January.

We feel very lucky to be able to plant trees for future generations at the farm, reinstating what has sadly been lost across much of the Tamar Valley.

We'll keep this page up to date as the tress go into the ground, but If you'd like to see a little more detail of our plans, take a look at the documents below.

Plans for Orchard in Front Field - Version 1
Plans for Orchard in Front Field - Version 2
Potential for Tree Varietals