Sustainability & Puttenham Down

Puttenham Down

Puttenham Down has recently been cut and cleared.

See photos.

Puttenham Common

October 2023.

Latest update from Molly Biddell, Hampton Estate.  (Click on the links below)

For all information on the Puttenham Common Habitat Restoration project please follow the link below to access the Hampton Estate website:-

https://www.hamptonestate.co.uk/puttenham-common-restoration/

Puttenham Down

_Puttenham Common 2

Puttenham Parish Council manages an area of land on the slopes of The Hog’s Back (Puttenham Down). Dave Williams, who advises the Parish Council on all sustainability issues, came up with a fantastic initiative to create Puttenham Parish Orchard on this area of land using old Surrey apple and pear tree varieties.

As a result, Dr. Giles Groome CEcol, CEnv, MCIEEM Consultant Ecologist was called in by Dave to conduct a full botanic survey of the area. The full survey is attached below.

Following the survey, COPSE community orchard project became involved. COPSE woks with SCC to deliver their 1.2m new trees by 2030 ambition.

It was concluded that the meadow did look botanically interesting and that, by using a method of Strategic Orchard Planting, an orchard could  be created and also serve as a way of replacing ash tree die-back by planting a number of fruit trees over time at a low density along the edge of the meadow as the ash tree line retreats. It was also suggested that any planting should be at a minimum of 20m from the A31 to ensure the safety of growing fruit for consumption.

6 fruit trees were planted in the Spring and, as they have taken and grown so well, a further 6 trees were planted in the Autumn. Some recent photographs of the area are shown below.

The area is under constant review and it is hoped to continue planting more trees when advised to do so. Further reports and photographs will be published here accordingly.

LATEST NEWS

October 2023

Puttenham Down has been cut to remove the vegetation before nutrents are put back into the soil as part of our aim to turn the land into Chalk Downland. See pictures below.

March 2021

Download below the latest news on the Puttenham Down Fruit Tree planting project:

https://www.copseorchardproject.org/blog

Download the Puttenham Down Vegetation Survey (July 2019) below