Welcome to Holderness Community Orchards!

Holderness Community Orchards (HCO) is a not-for-profit, charitable organisation based in Hedon, East Yorkshire. It can be accessed via Ivy Lane, just off Market Hill. Walk past the graveyard and you’ll see a green metal gate with a sign that says ‘Elsie Gate’. Walk through the gate and enjoy our orchard!

Our mission statement is:

To provide an orchard for the benefit and use without charge for inhabitants of and visitors to Holderness and the surrounding area in the interests of social welfare, for recreation and leisure time occupation, with the object of improving conditions of life.

(From the Charity Commission Registration for HCO)

The charity was set up in mid-2019 by Kelvin Hurd, Neal Everingham and Dave Langcaster. All 3 of us are residents of Hedon, who wanted to build a resource for the people of Holderness that would provide varieties of fruit for local people.

We had fond memories of ‘scrumping’ apples and other fruit from the many fruit trees scattered in and around South Holderness as youngsters. We wanted future generations to experience the simple pleasure of picking and eating fruit direct from the tree, on those balmy late summer and chilly autumn days when the nights start drawing in and the leaves start to turn.

We also believe in the value of nature as a learning resource, and wanted to work with local schools and other charities to help children, families and older people to reconnect with the natural world and help us to protect our precious environment.

We aim to provide healthy fruit to share as well as a green haven for simple contemplation and enjoyment. Community orchards are also excellent wildlife habitats and carbon sinks. Many community orchards are centres for local festivities (for example based around national Apple Day), as well as more traditional activities such as wassailing. The orchard is run entirely by volunteers. The project will not only help to promote healthy eating; it will have the added benefits of encouraging exercise and outdoor activity, promoting local food production, and generating a stronger community identity. We will also be working with our local schools (Inmans Primary School, Hedon Community Primary School, and Holderness Academy) to provide a resource for children and young people to learn about and reconnect with nature.