Anya Gallaccio plants new orchard with local school children

This National Tree Planting Week 30 Thanet schoolchildren joined the artist Anya Gallaccio to plant a new apple orchard at Lees Court Estate in Faversham.  

The orchard is the final part of our An Apple a Day learning programme. A new resource, developed by Thanet Primary school teachers, exploring Kent’s heritage, countryside and history through its apples and apple orchards. The resource is now available to every primary school in Kent allowing them to run their own Apple Day by placing this fantastic fruit at the heart of the curriculum. 

On 28 November pupils from Palm Bay Primary, Ramsgate Arts Primary and Upton Junior School planted the orchard an apple orchard designed by Anya at Lees Court Estate near Faversham, using apple trees donated by Creating Nature’s Corridor. The spiral shaped design includes 50 trees and over 20 heritage apple varieties. Students dug holes for the trees, positioned them, secured them to posts and protected them from rabbits, with more trees to be planted in spring 2025. 

The programme is supported by Kent Downs National Landscape, DEFRA, The Lunaria Trust, Lees Court Estate, Creating Nature’s Corridors and Grow Fruit Trees.