In June 2024 one of our allotment holders, Chris Ring, took his own life in the River Derwent in Milford. This was a terrible shock to the village – he was well known and well liked. He kept bees on his allotment and gave presentations on beekeeping there and organised Apple Day in Belper, which inspired Milford to do the same. He was also on the board of Transition Belper, an umbrella environmental group. It was decided, in consultation with his friends in Transition Belper, to create the Chris Ring Community Orchard, from 2 allotments already containing small fruit trees, in his honour, and a great deal of volunteer effort has been expended over the past two years to make this happen. Last year the area was cleared in two large work parties (it was extremely overgrown, with brambles with 2” wide stems) and two apple trees from Chris Ring’s garden added and the area covered in weed matting to supress weeds.
This year a grant was obtained from Belper Town Council to buy 108m2 of turf and then two huge work parties organised for September 2025 and May 2026, each with a dozen volunteers, comprising NHS non-medical staff, gathered by Jen Butters of the Milford Community Greenspace, plus some allotment holders. The proposed orchard was a large area to deal with, so the bottom half was done at the first work party and the top half in the second. In both cases the black plastic was removed, the area dug over and remaining weeds/roots removed, and then the area raked level. In May 2026 a new pear tree and a new plum tree were planted in the upper half, to fill some gaps. The turf was ordered to arrive in two 54m2 batches, one for each work party. In each case it then had to be carried by wheelbarrow 400 yards across the site to the orchard. It was then finally laid. A battery electric lawnmower has been donated to the site and the grass is cut regularly by volunteers and on the 6th July a sign was erected, finally completing the orchard.
Volunteers clearing top half of site May 2026
Volunteers clearing bottom half of the site September 2025
Raking of ground
Laying of the turf
Turfing completed May 2026
The fruit on the orchard (apples (eating and cooking), pears, plums and damsons) are free for anyone to pick. The orchard is situated half way along the public footpath between the end of East Terrace and the A6 near to the Children’s Play Area.
Chris Ring Community Orchard sign erected 6th July 2026
