Three new community orchards planted across Milton Keynes
Published: 05/03/2026
Our team have been busy planting three new community orchards across Milton Keynes this winter, adding even more colour and character to the city’s green spaces while giving local biodiversity a welcome boost. Two of the orchards sit within Loughton Valley Park, with a third taking shape at Shenley Wood. Each one brings a varied mix of fruit trees that will mature into productive, wildlife friendly spaces for the whole community to enjoy.
These areas of what was short grass have now been transformed into much richer habitats. The first orchard in Loughton Valley Park, near Wymbush, now includes 22 fruit trees ranging from apples and pears to cherries, plums, walnut, quince, mulberry, damson and medlar. Traditional varieties such as Beauty of Bath, Egremont Russet, Concorde, Morello and Broadview walnut mean there will be something interesting happening throughout the seasons.
A little further along the park, near Bancroft, the second orchard adds another 12 trees to the landscape. This planting includes apples, pears, several plum varieties, a bullace and a walnut tree, creating another pocket of diversity for residents and wildlife alike.
At Shenley Wood, the new orchard has been planted in a more structured layout, with 10 Conference pears, 10 Braeburn apples and 10 Victoria plums, supported by a crab apple pollinator. Crab apples are ideal are great for bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects as they have a long flowering period, while being relatively small in comparison to the other trees, they also don’t require harvesting.
The orchards were planted with the help of pupils from Oxley Park Academy and Two Mile Ash Primary School, who joined our outdoor learning team to get the young trees established. All three orchards are expected to begin producing fruit within the next three to five years.
This project was made possible thanks to funding secured last year from the Trees Outside Woodland (TOW) Fund.
Milton Keynes is fortunate to have a growing number of community orchards including the established Woughton Orchard which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. These spaces support wildlife, offer peaceful places to wander and provide fresh fruit for residents. Visitors are welcome to pick fruit from orchards these orchards for personal use and are encouraged to take only what they need so that others, including wildlife, can enjoy the harvest too.
