Orchard Network

4 July 2011

The project aims to keep an important part of South Somerset’s heritage alive by raising the profile of orchards and providing advice for orchard owners on all aspects of management.  Volunteers will receive training in techniques to survey orchards for their special wildlife and to encourage communities to plant new orchards or restore neglected orchards in their local area. Local school children will explore the natural heritage of the traditional orchards on their doorsteps and plant new ones in their school grounds.

The project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Somerset Biodiversity Partnership, will employ an Orchard Project Officer to deliver the two year project, which is focused on an orchard hotspot of 28 parishes within South Somerset.  The culture of traditional orchard heritage will be celebrated at events such as Wassailing and Apple Day, and efforts will be made to keep alive local heritage apple varieties that are not widely available today such as Chisel Jersey, Red Worthy and Slack Me Girdle

If you own or manage an orchard in South Somerset and would like to find out if you are within the project area, or if you would like to become involved as a volunteer then please contact Ann Langdon on 01749 676052 or email ann.langdon@fwagsw.org.uk.

Further details can be found on the website or by downloading the project leaflet.