The Symondsbury Apple Project: Research |
Why research?
The destruction of orchards represent a huge loss in wildlife habitats particularly
those unique to ancient trees. Research can assist in identifying these sites
and promoting them as precious natural monuments in the landscape. An increase
in awareness and appreciation adds value to these sites thereby helping to
preserve them. Read more about researching orchard history in our Heritage Orchard Year supplement.
First Steps
Research into local orchards has begun in Symondsbury with an analysis of
the 1839
Tithe map and apportionments, which are held in the Dorset Record Office
in Dorchester. Grateful acknowledgement is given for their permission to use
the data in this way and the help they gave during the research.
The results show;
Total of orchard acreage in 1839 for Symondsbury (with approximate adjustments)
101 Acres 2 roods 22 sq perch
98 orchard plots
Average size 1 Acre 5 perch
Notes and observations
The sizes of orchards vary considerably, Symondsbury has one orchard over
four acres 497 Billet's Moor, two orchards just under four acres 507
Petty Croft and 677 Four acre Orchard which is in fact sixteen square perches
short ! 535 which is Symondsbury Farm includes the House, Barns Barton etc
and has been included at half its nominal acreage.
There are two orchards over two acres but here again these include either
willow in the case of 558 Westernfield or a cottage 616 Sym's plot.
A cottage is likely to take up far less room that a farm and outbuildings.
But then again it depends on the size of the cottage garden. People generally
grew vegetables in amongst the trees if land was tight. Rents were also sometimes
paid in kind with cider or apples. Locations of the orchards should wherever
possible be correlated to the 1st edition 6" map c1895. The Tithe map gives
very few names on the map.
The permutations and analysis are endless. But it would be good to identify
within the parish all the old orchard sites and see why they were chosen,
soil inclination etc and then to see which are still in operation. There may
be descendants of the owners or occupiers alive today.
James Crowden (www.james-crowden.co.uk)
Heritage Orchard Year: 2004 ~ 2005
The Apple project undertook a year of research into local orchards from Autumn 2004 to Autumn 2005. You can read a summary of that research in the Heritage Orchard Year supplement.
Read about the Heritage Orchard by Kim Squirrell.
Download more quotations from the Victoria
History of Dorset (55kb)
If you would like to help with this research please get in touch with the
SAP office.
Tel: 01308 428913 Email: info@appleproject.org.uk
View/download a PDF file of James Crowden's short article entitled 'How to research your orchard
in West Dorset'
Dorset County Records Office:
www.dorsetcc.gov.uk/index.jsp?articleid=2203