In this final part, we dig further into the history of the Gorse Hall estate with Alan Pickles a volunteer who has been involved with the site for fifty years and set up the Friends of Gorse Hall. We then follow the route out of the estate and visit a community orchard planted in 2009 in a Cheetham Park and we discuss planting, establishing and maintaining an open access orchard with Rob Muir (Abundance Tameside)  with some additional information about the location and planting of the orchard from Debs Kaufmann (Greenspace Team, Tameside Council) who manage the site.

View or download the walk route map: https://operationfarm.org.uk/lost-trees/the-lost-trees-walk-route-map/

View the episode picture gallery here: https://operationfarm.org.uk/lost-trees-of-stalybridge-podcast-episode-3-gallery/

Lost Trees of Stalybridge project information - https://operationfarm.org.uk/lost-trees/

Read more about the podcast - https://operationfarm.org.uk/the-lost-trees-podcast/

Other Links:

The Friends of Gorse Hall - https://gorse-hall.co.uk/

Friends of Gorse Hall Volunteering page - https://gorse-hall.co.uk/volunteers-2/

Cheetham Park, Stalybridge - https://www.tameside.gov.uk/parks/cheethampark

RV Rogers Nursery (supplies an extensive range of heritage fruit trees)  - https://rvroger.co.uk/

Blossom picture calendar - https://www.orchardnetwork.org.uk/blossomcalendar

Further reading on orchards and fruit trees: https://operationfarm.org.uk/lost-trees/lost-trees-podcast-further-information/

Credits 

Presenter- Anna Seward

Sound editing & production - Simon Galloway

Original music - Claire Knox 

Supported by The Bridge, Stalybridge Heritage Action Zone Cultural Consortium

Funded by Historic England

In this episode, we enter into the estate of the now demolished Gorse Hall, and explore the remains of a Victorian kitchen garden containing an orchard with some trees that could be 180 years old, guided by Sam Bolton from Greater Manchester Ecology Unit who studied and planted trees here as part of an orchard restoration project some years ago. He shares lots of interesting information about heritage varieties and caring for old orchards.

View or download the walk route map: https://operationfarm.org.uk/lost-trees/the-lost-trees-walk-route-map/

View the Episode 2 picture gallery: https://operationfarm.org.uk/lost-trees/lost-trees-podcast-episode-2-gallery/

Other Links:

Lost Trees of Stalybridge project information - https://operationfarm.org.uk/lost-trees/

Read more about the podcast - https://operationfarm.org.uk/the-lost-trees-podcast/

Greater Manchester Ecology Unit - https://www.tameside.gov.uk/ecologyunit

Read about The Grafting for Orchards Project (active between 2013-15) - https://gmlrc.org/projects/

Presenter - Anna Seward

Sound editing - Simon Galloway

Original music - Claire Knox 

Supported by The Bridge, Stalybridge Heritage Action Zone Cultural Consortium

Funded by Historic England

Starting our Lost Trees walk on the edge of Stalybridge's centre, we follow a route into the town centre and work our way outwards and discover some fruit-bearing trees growing in built-up and sometimes unexpected places and learn about different uses for the fruit growing on them. We talk to Rob Muir from Abundance Tameside who shares some cider making tips, as well as introducing Sam Bolton from Greater Manchester Ecology Unit to discuss an interesting, possibly very old apple tree.

View or download the walk route map: https://operationfarm.org.uk/lost-trees/the-lost-trees-walk-route-map/

View the Episode 1 picture gallery: https://operationfarm.org.uk/lost-trees/lost-trees-podcast-episode-1-gallery/

Other Links:

Lost Trees of Stalybridge project information - https://operationfarm.org.uk/lost-trees/

Read more about the podcast - https://operationfarm.org.uk/the-lost-trees-podcast/

Abundance Tameside - https://operationfarm.org.uk/abundance-tameside/

Presenter - Anna Seward

Sound editing - Simon Galloway

Original music - Claire Knox 

Supported by The Bridge, Stalybridge Heritage Action Zone Cultural Consortium

Funded by Historic England

An introduction to the Lost Trees Podcast! Over three episodes, this podcast will follow a trail to discover some wonderful fruit trees in the town of Stalybridge in Greater Manchester. As the walk unfolds, we’ll uncover information about fruit tree varieties, ecology, maintenance, uses for their fruit and some local history about the places they are growing. We'll discuss the trees' stories and origins; talking with people who have harvested, planted or cared for them and their growing sites along the route. 

This podcast is part of a project to celebrate the town of Stalybridge as Greater Manchester's Town of Culture in 2022,. It's supported by The Bridge, Stalybridge Heritage Action Zone Cultural Consortium and funded by Historic England.

www.operationfarm.org.uk/Lost-Trees

Presenter- Anna Seward

Sound - Simon Galloway

Music - Claire Knox