The work on the site could not begin because the land was not in vacant possession, pending the settlement of a compensation claim from the tenant farmer, who had similarly delayed an unemployment scheme for widening Bluebell Road.  In November, 1923, Capt. Sandys-Winsch was authorised “to endeavour to settle the claim.”  In March next year the Minute Book records that work had commenced but there is no record of the settlement itself.  Also in March, expenditure was approved the purchase of 1,700 trees from Daniels, the local nursery, and for 1,000 fruit trees from Clibrans Nursery near Capt. Sandys-Winsch’s home town.

The fruit trees, which were – and remain – the property of the Council, were probably regarded by the tenants as an exceptional bonus for their holding.  The Council, anxious to avoid any claim for compensation in the event of disposal of the land, had ensured that the standard tenancy agreement forbade “the planting of any fruit trees or bushes, strawberry plants, asparagus, rhubarb or other market garden crops which continue productive for two or more years.”

The planting plan was apples to be placed mainly on plot boundaries and roadway borders, stone fruits between the rows of plots, and pear trees alongside the sheds.       It is clearly recalled by the son of a tenant in those early years that planting distances were very, very precise, and that each young tree had a horizontal stake across two stout verticals.

The Council’s original commitment to maintain the fruit trees now seems to be in decline.  In 1956 our Association requested unsuccessfully for the trees to be pruned.   In 1962, in response to our question about the trees on allotments that were to be lost due to the Northfields development, the Director of Parks reported that very little pruning had been done since the 39 –45 war, and none since 1951, and that the trees were too old to be moved.

 Happily, some of the 1924 trees survive.  The pear trees planted to screen the sheds are among the tallest trees on the site, and it is hoped to install bat boxes here to encourage bats to use them as a summer feeding ground.  The East of England Apples and Orchards Project (which surveyed the apple trees in 2001) found that, in terms of apple history, the whole site is a living museum, which demands future study.  Plot numbers and the varieties of apples are listed in the hut.  It is hoped to carry out a similar exercise on the identification of pear trees in the future.

In October, 2006, the City Council published information about the Norwich Tree Strategy, which aims to ensure that trees remain a defining feature of the City.  The Association has asked the Council to include our historic fruit trees in the survey – they are at present omitted!.  You may rest assured that we will do all we can to preserve our “living museum” for as long as we can.