Blossom and Fruit by Carolyn T Gray
Amongst the gloom of midwinter, it’s good to look forward to all things summery.
The Great British Picnic is something we have been thinking about within Friends of Grosvenor and Hilbert Park, following on from a visit to Five Oak Green last October. A group of us went to see Capel Community Orchard, and meet the orchard co-ordinators – Roger and Celia Worraker. There was a thought that it would be a good idea to establish a community orchard in the park. It would provide an view of blossom in spring,a shady area in summer, for families to sit under and picnic, and then crops of fruit in autumn.
The Capel Community Orchard was set up in 2012 via a grant, and public donations, and is now at capacity, with about seventy trees. There are different varieties of apples, pears, plums and cherries, and at present each sponsor can collect their own fruit. Eventually as the trees mature, it is hoped the fruit can be shared more widely.
Much of the land for Grosvenor and Hilbert Park was originally farmland, the Dorking Charity Estate, or ‘Charity Farm’. Further back in time, what is now Northern Tunbridge Wells was woodland, and part of the estate at Somerhill, until sold by Somerhill in the 16th century. The Charity Farm retained two areas of woodland, which probably provided the farm with it’s timber needs. There was also a hop garden, where the upper football pitch now is, and our Oast House was built in the early 19th century. A tithe map of 1838 shows an orchard to the south of the current woods and oasthouse/ farmhouse. Locals remember cows being on the farm, where the lower football pitch now is, in the 1920s. During the 1930s Cllr E. J. Strange bought and donated the land, to be a recreation ground. Works were delayed by World War Two, and the park played it’s part in the “Dig for Victory” Campaign. One and half acres in Hilbert Recreation Ground were planted to potatoes and the oasthouse was used to store manure. The allotments remained in place until the early 1960s. The two woods still exist and are looked after by Kent High Weald Partnership. Regular volunteering days take place to help manage the woodland.
Land surrounding the park, such as Haslett’s Close and Sandhurst Road, was used as vegetable-nursery growing areas, and the whole of Sherwood and Greggswood were woods, until the post war building boom. We are very fortunate that this space of green land has been preserved as Grosvenor and Hilbert Park for future generations to enjoy.
The Friends group would also like to say Thank You for the support of the community – last autumn we received a Community Contribution Award from Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Society, and also 2nd place in the Community category of the Heart of the Community Awards.
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