Thackeray Drive field
Thackeray Drive field incorporates the football pitches, the Scout Hut, the Community Orchard and the play area.
A great deal of Vicars Cross was originally used as orchards and market gardens and prior to the homes being built mainly in the 1960s and 1970s, there was an orchard where the area is now, one of many orchards in the area. The field was described as a nursery on the tithe map of c1849 and the occupants – George Walker and Co – were nurserymen and seedsmen.
The Parish Council old logo shows the fruit blossoms and cherries, pears and apples which once grew in abundance in the local orchards and a number of original fruit trees survive in local gardens.
The field has been used for football for well over 20 years and limited tree planting was undertaken in approx. 2003-2005 . On the aerial photo of 2010, the old field boundary can be seen running west from the scout hut towards the trees across the junior football pitch. Near the western boundary a slight dip marks where this boundary was, probably left undisturbed for approximately 50 years and hopefully this old field boundary can be carefully ‘excavated/ investigated’ during the planned earth works.
The field is a popular open space, used by dog walkers, formal and informal football, keep fit, dog training, scout activities, Family Fundays and by a travelling circus in the summer months.
In 2015, the Parish Council was awarded Sport England funding to substantially upgrade the two football pitches in conjunction with Vicar Cross Dynamos. One of the conditions of the funding was that the football pitches would be safeguarded for 25 years and recent planting of the Jubilee Community Orchard has ensured that the football pitches have been safeguarded.
In 2020/21, the parish council worked with Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council and Mersey Forest to develop and plant a community orchard on the site, including additional planting in the A41 hedge, in between the mature Ash trees. Unfortunately, ash dieback may affect these trees in the very near future and therefore it is important to ensure this sound/ pollution barrier and wildlife corridor is maintained and safeguarded.
It is also planned to plant a ‘soft fruit avenue’ on the field side of the A41 hedge where there is a slight slope, resulting from the spreading of topsoil/ sub soil from the drainage works to the football pitches in 2017. At the moment is a grass area with some thistles (good for goldfinches) and these would be added to with raspberries, gooseberries etc
As the orchard develops, there will be a range of fruit during the seasons for the local community to pick and use. In addition, in conjunction with Great Boughton in Bloom, ‘Apple Days’ will be arranged where apples and pears from the orchard are picked/ collected and produce from local fruit trees are pressed for fruit juice for people to take away.
