Gwent Wildlife Trust is pleased to announce the launch of an exciting two year project focusing on Gwent’s traditional orchards. The Gwent Orchards Project is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Countryside Council for Wales and Welsh Assembly Government’s Sustainable Development Fund in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and aims to bring our orchards back to their former glory, and ensure that they have a permanent place in our natural heritage.

Orchard in Summer. ©  PTES

What are traditional orchards?

Traditional orchards are part of a living landscape useful to both humans and wildlife. They are typically managed without the use of chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertiliser allowing a wealth of wildlife to coexist in a managed environment. The trees are widely spaced and allowed to grow into large, spectacular standards, often being left to retain areas of deadwood; a key habitat for many rare invertebrates. This all means traditionally managed orchards have a high biodiversity value which has been nationally recognised with the inclusion of the habitat in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

Orchards in Welsh Cultural History

As well as being great for wildlife, traditional orchards play an important role in Welsh cultural history. There are often old, traditional varieties of fruit found in traditional orchards making them a locally distinctive part of the landscape. The importance of orchards in Welsh history is reflected by the frequency that the Welsh word for orchard, Berllan, is found in place names, for example Berllan-dywyll, Bryn-y-Berllan and Caeberllan. This importance is not surprising when you think that the Gwent area of Wales was once one of the major fruit growing regions in the UK, with a reputation rivalling that of Kent and Herefordshire. For more information on orchards and history click here

Traditional Orchard © Chris Wedge

Threats to Gwent Orchards

Ninety percent of Gwent’s orchards have been lost in recent times at an alarming rate. This loss is reflected throughout the UK making it a national problem. Explanations why we are loosing our orchards are complex and numerous, however some significant reasons are listed below:

• Loss of commercial value of fruit
• Neglect
• Development
• Lack of knowledge and/or interest

This loss of our orchards results in the loss of a huge part of our cultural history; many fruit varieties unique to Wales could vanish. A massive variety of wildlife will also lose out if this valuable resource is gone. Gwent Wildlife Trust wants to halt this decline and encourage sensitive management and creation of traditional orchards in Gwent.

Gwent Wildlife Trust has developed the Gwent Orchards Project which has several goals. We want to:

• Raise awareness and encourage interest and participation so that traditional orchards can be enjoyed by future generations.
• Survey and record the extent and condition of Gwent’s orchards. With this information we will be much better equipped to combat any future orchard loss;
• Conserve traditional orchards, local fruit varieties and the rare species associated with orchards;
• Provide resources and support to orchard owners so that they can continue to or begin to manage their orchards traditionally, with an emphasis on using local fruit varieties to Gwent. Please click ‘Orchard Owners Information’ if you own an orchard.

Find out what the orchards project can do to you help you and how you can help the project. Alice Rees, the Gwent Orchards project officer has been working hard to ensure the project is a success.

If you would like to be involved in this project, or would like to request further information, please contact Alice Rees, the Perllannau Gwent / Gwent Orchard Project officer on arees@gwentwildlife.org or 01600 740600.