The Charles Dickens Community Orchards began in 2016 when Cornwallis Crescent Orchard was first planted on Saturday March 12th 2016 and has been transformed into a community asset and a legacy for the future.
 
There has been a variety of fruit trees planted across the site including Braeburn, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Keelie, Blue Permain, Baker Delicious, Coxes Orange Pippin and Worcester Permain Apples, Stellar and Sunburst Cherry, Victoria Plum and Comice, William and Conference Pear trees with a variety of fruit bushes including Red and Green Gooseberries, Redcurrant and Blackcurrant which have been planted in raised beds. The orchard also features a wild flower meadow area which not only will bring a flash of colour to the area but will also provide a valuable resource to Bees and other insects.

There is also a seating area and the site is also home to two public sculptures that have been relocated from Commercial Road.

The Cornwallis Crescent Community Orchard provides a much needed green oasis in the centre of the city for people to enjoy with their families for picnics.  This is a future project, a place where free fruit will be grown for local people in the meadow area and raised beds.  A place where people can volunteer to help water the trees and grow fruit bushes and flowers to help the bees come and pollinate the trees.

The Charles Dickens Community Orchards and Cornwallis Crescent Community Orchard are works in progress and the vision of Dennis David and Jon Stokes from the Tree council, other co founders are Trish Bell and Pauline Powell. We will continue planting more fruit trees around the city now. We need help with the funding through the lottery and from grants we have alot of different types of fruit bearing trees growing. Our aim is to have a foraging resource for the future.

We are currently supported by Portsmouth city council, Portsmouth & Southsea Tree Wardens  and The Tree Council. Encouraging local people to work together. The fruit trees also help to reduce the air pollunation in the city and make it a nicer place to live.

Our hopes for the future are to provide a free local resource for residents. Maintained and looked after locally by volunteers.  This would include free training, providing horticultural knowledge and a local history and literature project linked to Charles Dickens and his love of apples for young people. We aim to get the younger members of the community involved. They could be tree champions supported by the national Tree Council. We have be working with the local schools to provide 8 orchards, community groups and are hoping to work with Portsmouth University too. We aim to bring the local community together more to look after these valuable, lovely community assets.

We need your help so we can continue to offer and even expand our service, Please like and share our Facebook page and sign up using the Cornwallis Crescent Orchard Volunteers page. You can also support us when you buy Portsmouth Lottery Tickets

Thank you for your support.
For more info about the Orchards please contact:
Trish Bell (Tree Warden Co-ordinator)
Email: trish.bell@portsmouthcc.gov.uk