MORE than 100 visitors enjoyed the first open day at a community orchard.

The Irvine Road orchard in Colchester is managed by residents.

Visitors joined guided tours, sampled apple juice and found out more about the history of the ancient orchard.

Shaun Thomas, chair of the Residents' Association, said: “This is the start of a new phase for the Irvine Road Orchard.

"Over coming months, the community will take on the management of the orchard and it is great we have seen so much interest from residents.

"It gives us all confidence this fantastic place has a bright future."

The creation of a community orchard is the culmination of four years of work by the community working with the site's owner, Lexden Restorations. Part of the site was planned for development, so the Irvine Road Area Residents' Association consulted the residents and agreed to pursue a compromise with Lexden Restorations.

That agreement will see the community take on a free 50 year lease to look after the orchard's wildlife, including stag beetles, foxes, visiting deer, bats and a host of birds and insects as well as the fruit trees.

While the plans are at an early stage, the Residents' Association has established a separate charity to take on the lease and, when that happens, will be looking for volunteers to help.

Search for Irvine Road Community Orchard on Facebook.