Friends of Dartmouth Community Orchard
New Path in the Community Orchard
Committee members of the Friends of the Orchard with the Town Groundsman lead a team of BRNC Officer Cadets in laying an all-weather surface on the path round the Orchard’s eastern paddock – the one nearest the river.
RGC Building Services Ltd. generously donated the aggregate and delivered it the day before work started. Despite mizzling conditions, a small team of the Officer Cadets skimmed off the top surface of the ground on the upper path and laid a geo-textile membrane before covering it with the aggregate. The job was finished with a ‘Wacker’ compacting it to produce a smooth, all-weather surface.
The next day, despite a tricky weather forecast, a much larger team finished the job by resurfacing the steps and the lower level of the path. The steps down into the woodland zone were also up-graded. Over the two days, the Cadets put in a total of 120 hours of work as part of the College’s outreach programme, which benefits so many local groups.
Friends’ Committee co-ordinator, Peter Shaw, commented, “The Friends of the Orchard have had a long-held an ambition to complete the all-weather path around the Orchard, so that walkers can continue to use it safely in the winter. It has finally been realised with outstanding teamwork between a local supplier, the Town Council and its staff, BRNC and the Friends. This will provide long-term benefit to the community – Dartmouth at its best.”
He added, “Keep an eye on the apple crop; it’s beginning to ripen. Members of the community are welcome to pick apples for personal use, but tree stripping is damaging and unacceptable.
The Friends will hold their Apple Day on Sunday 13th October, 11.00 – 15.00 or when the apples run out. Everyone is welcome to come, help and, for a small donation, take away some delicious fresh apple juice.”