There is something so magical about an orchard. They speak not just of place, but of people. The history, wisdom and heritage fruit trees have carried with them through the circles of time is astounding. There are whole worlds to be discovered within an orchard, if only one were to give them the time of day. The difficult bit is finding one in the first place.
Photos taken by Rebecca Fletcher.
Depending on where you live in the UK, coming across an orchard may either be a non-existent occurrence or something done multiple times a day. A recent study by the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species revealed that there are about “35,000 individual orchards in England and over 7,000 in Wales”, which sounds like a lot, but, in turn, reveals that:
“90% of traditional orchards have been lost since the 1950s to neglect, development or conversion to intensive modern orchards which contribute a negative impact on biodiversity. Furthermore, 45% of the remaining orchards surveyed in England and 35% of orchards in Wales were found to be in declining condition as a habitat.“
It’s a staggering statistic that should be of great, national concern and yet few have raised an eyebrow to the destruction and decimation of these agricultural spaces and the fruit trees and wildlife that call them home.
So how did our orchards get to this point? Where we once had them in abundance and are now losing them at an alarming rate? Where did orchards come from, why were there historically more traditional orchards than there are now and what can be done to protect them as we move forward?
Well, to know this we must first turn to the origin of the apple tree itself.
"This dispersion of fruit trees is a really brilliant example of the role nature and nurture play in the manifestation of orchards today."
Rachel Hendry
Rachel Hendry
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