The gales in 2016 blew over the White Mulberry tree on De Mandeville Green.
It was one of the remaining fruit trees from the Orchard that was part of Broom Farm.
The three pear trees that cropped so heavily in 2016 are others.
White mulberries (morus alba) are uncommon, much rarer in the U.K. than the black mulberry (morus nigra) & they are the ones that whose leaves silk worms feed on. Perhaps some years ago someone had dreams of an Elsenham (or Henham) silk farm.
The idea of replacing this specimen led to the idea replanting more fruit trees on the De Mandeville Green, partly to mark Broom Farm & partly as a memento of the Scholes' orchard, now Orchard Crescent.
The multistem poplar on the NW corner was deteriorating and had to be felled which revealed significant canker infection. The stump was reduced & professionally poisoned to kill the remains of the disease & it will be topped with protective wooden planking.
In its stead in roughly the same area there will be a bird cherry.
Other trees that will be planted are two standard apples - Braintree Seedling & Kidd's Orange Red - & a half standard crab apple, Red Sentinel.
Standard forms of the apple trees were chosen bearing in mind the need to be able to cut the grass & also to balance the height of the pear trees.
Planting took place in February 2017 so we hope for a little blossom in the spring but probably not fruit this year.
2019 update - the Kids Orange apple tree didn’t survive the attention of the local dogs, so the Orchard has been augmented by a (better protectedj Chelmsford Wonder.