Donkey Lane orchard is situated on the eastern edge of Chinnor in Oxfordshire. It lies at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, on the south eastern side and adjacent to the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway line. Donkey Lane (also known as Keens Lane) leads, by way of a bridleway, to the Ridgeway long distance path.

The orchard is owned by Mr Derek Nixey of Manor Farm. This project would not have been made possible without the generosity of Mr Derek Nixey and the Parish Council. The orchard project is part of the larger Chiltern Conservation Board’s ‘Chalk, Cherries & Chairs” Landscape Partnership Scheme which is the largest ever conservation project in the Chilterns.

Access to the site can be difficult as the orchard is situated by an unmade lane which can get very wet and muddy in inclement weather and access is over a gated railway line.

Historically this area was known as Chinnor Crossing and the plot of land originally had several cottages which fell into ruin with only an ancient well left to mark the spot. A survey in 2013 found 20 apple trees and a single plum tree, identified as the ‘Chinnor Plum’ which is the only known specimen still growing in the wild. Some of the apple trees are possibly over 150 years old.

Since the beginning of January 2019, Greening Chinnor and a number of volunteers have been working to remove the rubbish, clear the area and find the fruit trees which were covered and being choked with ivy.

This Flickr account will document the efforts made to turn this once overgrown area into a community orchard to be enjoyed by all.