New orchard planted along Macclesfield Canal

April 2017 - By Peter Underwood

In the Peak District the Trust has been using volunteers to plant a small orchard on the banks of the Macclesfield Canal, planting 20 semi-mature fruit trees, just south of Macclesfield town, below Sutton Reservoir.

A number of varieties have been planted, including apples, plums, pears and cherries, to create a linear orchard. The Trust was helped in the project by students from Stoke College and members of the Lyme & Sutton Canal Adoption Group, Victoria Anglers, Bosley Locks Adoption Group and the Macclesfield Canal Society.

Tom King, ecologist with the Canal & River Trust, said: “It is rare to have an orchard planted alongside a canal but we hope these trees will not only bear fruit and be great for wildlife but become a picturesque local landmark too.

“The fruit trees have a double benefit. In spring, their flowers are a visual delight for people and food for local wildlife. And in late summer and autumn, their fruit will be a great new food source for birds, animals and insects.

“The trees have been planted within gaps in the hedgerow, where the hedge plants have died. The trees will help to fill in the gaps and restore the linear hedgerow barrier as a landscape feature and habitat for wildlife.”

Photos: Tree planting on The Macc.