The original management plan for the Orchard was created in 2000 and it has been revised several times since then. In 2009-10 our ecologist adviser, Graeme Skelcher, with the help of specialist colleagues, carried out a comprehensive wildlife survey for us, including birds, plants and invertebrates.
In 2011, Natural England approved the Orchard for inclusion in the Fairfield Association’s Higher Level Stewardship Grant, which also covers Fauna. This gives us access to specialist advice on future management, and also provides a small annual grant towards the running costs.
Following this approval and building on the new survey, Graeme drafted a new management plan for us in 2011, with particular emphasis on the increasing wildlife value of the Orchard, which we aim to enhance as much as possible while retaining the Orchard’s value as a source of fruit and nuts and a place for quiet enjoyment by the community.
To download this draft report, which includes some of the results of the survey, please click the link below:
