Reviving the Lost Orchards of Forres
Proposal
By reviving these orchards, both through research and by actively planting heritage varieties of fruit trees around the town centre and down the lanes this project could provide a direct link to a forgotten way of life as well as bring biodiversity, attractiveness and connection to nature right at the centre of town.
The Moray Council Development Appraisal of 2013 clearly outlines how the Orchards were lost. “The Parking seems always to have been a problem in the town centre – one of the town guides of the late 1930s directed visitors to parking which was available at the Market Cross for the price of 6d.
Opportunities were seized upon to improve the situation when word had arrived from the Regional Council that its administration was proposing to impose controlled parking, and with it a regime of parking charges across the town centre. The Forres councillors moved quickly into action, seizing the opportunity to acquire pockets of unused land and gardens in the backlands at notional cost in order to create a series of car parks close to the High Street. The arrangements involved establishing some new roads to give convenient access to these areas, causing some disturbance to the existing street pattern and the established urban grain”. (4)
It is evident by walking down the lanes how these new car parks physically changed the layout of the ‘backlands’ of Forres, however, no detail is given of the lost way of life: the traditions; the skill sets in harvesting and food production; the heritage crops; what changes led to the orchards becoming dispensable and how people responded to their removal.We envisage a town centre enlivened by visual connections to the rural past in the form of heritage fruit varieties such as Greengages, Medlars and Damsons individually planted in tubs or grouped on small plots of land around the lanes.
To make way for car parks in the 1970s, the gardens and orchards at the ends of the lanes around Forres High Street were compulsorily purchased.
Christine Preece
We envision a Heritage Orchard accessible to the public, in the garden of Achernack House to provide connection to our rural past. that people can visit to complement the Apple and Victoria plumb trees that are still there. We envision that community groups of all ages would be involved in the planting, maintaining, harvesting, food production and food sharing from these mini orchards, perhaps developing new traditions. We envision that some information boards would be on display to explain the history of the orchards and that visitors would be encouraged to take the ‘Orchard trail’ around the Heritage Quarter, especially at blossom time.
How We Save the Trees
The main aim is to save as many of the remaining orchard trees as we possibly can — nursing them back to health with restorative pruning and feeding, and taking scions from each tree to graft onto young rootstock, creating a clone of the original tree.
Our Team
Reviving the Lost Orchards of Forres was initiated by Christine Preece, its first lead. The project is now led by Kim Grant, working with Sustainable Planet Projects and Green Fingers of Forres Community Gardens — with Steven Storrs (Head of Horticulture) and Stephen Clemson leading the grafting and orchard care.
A Growing Success
The Reviving the Lost Orchards of Forres project continues to gain momentum, bringing new life to the town's forgotten fruit-growing heritage — uncovering the history of the old orchards, rediscovering lost varieties, and nurturing their revival for the benefit of the community.
A Surprising Discovery
At the start of the project we dared to dream of finding a handful of the original Forres fruit trees. Imagine our astonishment when that number quickly surpassed 36 — and the discoveries keep coming, thanks to the contributions of the community. Many of these older trees are tucked away in private gardens, remnants of the orchards that once graced the land before the houses were built. If you're fortunate enough to have one of these heritage trees in your garden, we'd love to hear from you — our team can help with pruning, identification, and even grafting to preserve these varieties for future generations.
Green-Fingered Guardians
Keep an eye out for the dynamic duo of Steve and Steve from Green Fingers of Forres Community Gardens as they tend neglected fruit trees around town. Feel free to chat with them about their work — they're always happy to share how they protect and nurture these historic trees while uncovering the stories behind them.
A New Perspective — Kim Grant
Local wellbeing photographer Kim Grant leads the project, bringing a distinctive perspective on nature and a passion for conservation that promises to guide the work to new heights.
The Work Continues — And You Can Help
We've explored only a fraction of Forres, so there's still much more to discover. Your stories, memories and information about local fruit trees are invaluable. As we move into the next phase, the focus shifts to pruning, feeding and removing diseased or dead wood, as well as collecting scions (cuttings) to clone the original trees — acting before the sap starts to rise. We also run free pruning workshops at Auchernack; contact us to book a place.
Expanding the Orchard Walk
Looking ahead, we're excited to extend our Orchard Walk. Grafted heritage trees will be planted in accessible spaces throughout the town, creating a distributed orchard for everyone to enjoy when Forres and its trees are in full bloom. If you have a space for one of our trees, or know of a great location, please let us know.
Join the Team
If this project sparks your interest, why not become part of our team? We'll provide the training and skills you need to make a meaningful contribution. Contact rloof@sustainableplanetprojects.com, find us on Facebook (Sustainable Planet Projects and Green Fingers of Forres Community Gardens), or leave a message at 01309 679816.
This project has received £8,800 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.