Colwall Orchard Group has launched an appeal for £40,000 to buy land for a new grove of cherry trees.

The group wants to plant the new orchard on land at Lugg's Mill, where the village's corn mill used to stand in years gone by. But it needs to raise the money by January next year in order to secure the land.

The mill used to be surrounded by cherry orchards, but by 1904 the mill was disused and by the 1960s it and all the cherry orchards were gone.

The fields still have some ancient oak, ash and field maple trees and a brook, which is one of the few places in the village where kingfishers can be seen. There is a small layby in Old Church Road for parking and a public footpath running through the fields.

Tim Dixon, chairman of of the group, said: "Colwall Orchard Group now has a fantastic opportunity to buy the land and restore Lugg’s Mill to its former glory as a cherry orchard. We know how to put the orchard back, we’re quite good at that now, but we desperately need to the funds to pull this off.

"So imagine the scene in May 2030 – the new generation of cherry and apple trees have grown up and are dripping with blossom as you eat your picnic by the brook. You are hoping for a glimpse of sapphire blue as a Kingfisher returns to its nest but are happy to listen to the moorhens clucking away on the newly restored mill pond and to watch the woodpeckers feeding in the new trees.

"We are applying for grants from a variety of funders, but in these austere times it can be very challenging to raise money from these sources. So if you want to help to save and restore a wonderful part of Colwall’s history, then please think about giving us a donation."

Cheques can be made out to Colwall Orchard Group, care of the Cottage, Chase Road, Upper Colwall WR13 6DJ, donations made through the group's website or JustGiving page.

Members of the group will be at Lugg’s Mill on Sunday, May 7, from 2pm to 4pm to talk to anyone who wants to hear more about its plans for the new orchard.