NEW Tees Valley traditional orchards project
Orchards are a national biodiversity priority habitat so its great news that the Heritage Lottery Fund are supporting a new project ‘Traditional Orchards in the Lower Tees Valley’ through a grant of £41,000 to the Wildflower Ark at Nature’s World. The project will research orchards and fruit growing in the Lower Tees Valley, locate remaining orchards and remnant fruit trees and identify, where possible, the old varieties of fruit. A series of workshops on fruit tree pruning and management, fruit harvesting, storage and uses will be held in the orchards at Nature’s World. This will increase the skills within the local community and aid the restoration and management of local orchards.
Traditional orchards are a priority habitat in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. They are a semi-natural habitat providing food and shelter for a wide diversity of wildlife – lichens and mosses; bees, beetles, moths and other invertebrates; birds and mammals. As with so much of our wildlife habitat, traditional orchards are under threat across the whole of the uk and Natural England are promoting their wildlife benefits and conservation.
Traditional orchards were plentiful locally in the 19th century. Villages such as Egglescliffe, Norton, Newton Aycliffe, Thornaby were surrounded by fields of fruit trees. Orchards were also present as part of the fruit and vegetable gardens of local halls, country houses and farms. Most of these have been lost now, though some of them, not until recently. Some smaller farm orchards are thought to remain.
If you know of any old fruit trees or orchards, have information on the history of local orchards or are interested in any aspect of the project please contact Helen Herring at the Wildflower Ark, Nature’s World, Ladgate Lane, Acklam, TS5 7YN; tel: 01642 576611, email wildflowerark@hotmail.com.