the project
The project began as a two years pilot study to map traditional orchards within England’s main fruit growing belt. Nine counties were covered: Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Kent, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Somerset, Devon and Cumbria. The project involved hundreds of local volunteers and engaged many orchard owners throughout the country. The results from this work can be seen by clicking here.
Due to the success of the initial survey, further funding has been secured and we are now working in collaboration with Natural England and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to extend this work and to create an inventory of traditional orchards throughout England.
Over the next three years, we will produce this inventory in order to provide a valuable resource to be used by conservationists and orchard groups.
Locating traditional orchards is sometimes problematic. Ordnance Survey (OS) maps give no indication of the age or condition of particular orchards, and some remnant orchard sites found to be supporting populations of noble chafers are not marked as orchards on the most recent editions of the maps.
In our London office, two mapping officers study aerial photographs to identify traditional orchards sites. Volunteers across the country confirm if these identified sites still exist and help to gather additional information that enables us to assess the orchards’ condition.
Could you spare any time to help survey your local sites? To find out more about volunteering click here.
