Maryport community orchard aims to preserve Cumbrian apples

Volunteers Chris Watson, Marc Needham, Charlie Telford and Ross Tinkler planted trees at Mote Hill

A new orchard aiming to preserve Cumbrian apple trees has been created for its local community to enjoy.

Maryport Round Table has planted 20 trees on land at Mote Hill in the town.

They include 10 local varieties of apple, including Keswick Codlin and Bradley's Beauty.

Round Table member Marc Needham said: "We wanted to try and make it something for the public and it's always nice to keep it local with the heritage varieties."

Mr Needham added: "It's something you can't get in the shops and if people don't plant them, they may end up being endangered."

The Round Table, a social group made up of men aged 18 to 45, managed to secure the land, which connects the coastal path to the centre of Maryport via the Millennium Bridge from Cumberland Council.

Workington's Iggesund Paper Mill also donated bark to act as mulch to protect the trees.

The trees, which also include 10 popular varieties such as Golden Delicious and Granny Smiths, were paid for using money raised by Maryport Round Table through its activities.

Twenty apple trees, including local varieties, make up the new community Orchard in Maryport

The group takes part in a Christmas fundraising drive, which sees them pull a Santa sleigh around the area for two weeks.

It was during one of these nights that the group started talking about trees.

Mr Needham said: "When we're out for two weeks non-stop the conversation dries up, so we ended up talking about trees for some reason.

"It was on the back of that we thought 'why don't we start looking into planting a load of trees?' and one thing led to another."

The group is expecting that it will take three to five years for the apple trees to bear fruit.

"It would be a good thing to see them all established, and have parents with their kids picking apples in the late summer," added Mr Needham.