Urban growing at its very best. The Whyke Community Orchard was no more than a disused pocket of brambles and fly-tipped rubbish when volunteers turned up in September 2013. Now the site has a 17 fruit trees, including rare Sussex variety apples, and grafted cherries, a beautiful winding woodchip path and natural hedging along one side of the plot for protection.
One working session a month happens at the orchard, unless we need to catch up, find out when the next one is by looking on our calendar
The orchard is about 30ft by 100ft south/north oriented. (Or about 9m by 30 meters.)
How to get there
By car
Whyke Community Orchard is off Exton Road in Whyke; please park on Exton Road. PO19 8BA. There is housing in front of the orchard at Shone Court, with a new postcode PO19 8FT. Disabled access is from Shone Court.
On foot
Walking access from the Whyke Estate is between 28 and 30 Exton Road, Whyke, Chichester PO19 8BA.
Walk between the houses and the substation and take a right towards the orchard onto the footpath, going alongside the High School fence, about 50m north.
Coming from Kingsham Road/ Kingsham Avenue; look for the footpath sign heading south off Kingsham Avenue/ Kingsham Road junction opposite the railings. The purple sign for the Coop Funeral service shop across the Kingsham Rd is another local landmark.
Take this footpath, or twitten, and walk towards the bypass traffic noise. You’ll be following the eastern boundary of the High School which leads south to the A27 bypass.
The orchard is about 150m straight along the twitten on the left, not the first cultivated area, nor the left turning to Bramber Rd, but the second fenced space on the left. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you see the winding path between the trees.
By bus
The number 600 comes down Kingsham Road/Ave on its way to and from the bus station to Pagham and Bognor. Get off at the Sterling Road stop. The orchard is about 400 yards away, no more than 5 minutes walk. Look for the Co-op funeral parlour as the nearest landmark to the twitten, on the opposite side of the Kingsham Road. Walk south along the twitten to the second growing space on the left. Use the postcode PO19 8FT for satnavs and phones.
Or the number 51 bus stops on the Whyke Road at Willowbed Drive which is 800 yards distance through the twitten by the crossing on west side of Whyke Road going though to Eastland Road. Come round the road to the Whyke Oval recreation area. Head to the NW of corner of the Oval past the shops on the corner of Hay Rd/ Hardman Rd, into Exton Road. Walk to the gap between 28 and 30 Exton Road leading to Shone Court.
Accessibility
If using a car and parking as close as possible on Shone Court, there is a low barrier fence between car park and gate for orchard. 50m from parking to gate onto orchard.
Orchard surfaces are a woodchip path and mown grass. There are wooden lips to the path and underneath the gate which might feel greasy.
Wild areas grow briar roses, nettles, and burdocks and other thorny species so wear protective clothing ie trousers and boots.