New Wiltshire orchards help keep wassailing alive
The specially written Wiltshire Folk songs will be sung to wish the apple trees a successful season
New community orchards around Wiltshire have been planted, using a grant from DEFRA.
The grant, which was given out by DEFRA to celebrate King Charles' coronation, consisted of £50,000.
Music minded Naomi Styles is a woodland officer at Wiltshire council, She's been encouraging the traditional practice of wassailing - where people sing and dance in the orchard to wish it a good season - by writing new folk songs specifically for our county.
She thinks wassailing is a great tradition, and says community events are important
"I'm a big fab of music as being part of your community as opposed to a distant thing, at whatever level you can. You don't have to be good at music to enjoy it, it's about having fun"
"There are well knows wassails like the Gloucestershire wassail and the Somerset wassail, both popular at local events, I thought we should have one too!"
Below are the community orchards that received some of the funding:
Bemerton Heath Pinewood Community garden, Salisbury
Bishopstone Parish Council
Calne Without Parish Council
Melksham Canberra Children's Centre
Corsham Town Council – Neston
Corsley Parish Council (extension to existing orchard).
Devenish Bradshaw Trust
Devizes School
Downton Parish Council (four planting sites, planting on 26 January 2025(Cemetery) 27 January 2025 (Charlton All Saints) 31 January 2025 (Memorial Gardens) Saturday/Sunday 1/2 February 2025 (Beacon Orchard)
Le Marchant Park, Bishops Cannings Parish Council
Park Lane community garden, Corsham
Pitton Parish Council
Mind Café, Rowde
Silverwood School
Stapleford Parish Council
Tisbury Town Council (extension to existing orchard)
Warminster Community Orchard
Westbury Town Council - Grassacres Park
Dilton Marsh Parish Council
Coombe House School, Donhead St Mary
Rise 61 Community Garden, Bemerton Heath, Salisbury
Thingley Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Park
Alderbury Parish Council