Harvest time is upon us, and National Trust orchards across Shropshire are bearing fruit. These historic, or traditional, orchards are priority habitats and as well as providing fruit and nuts are safe havens for wildlife.
However, these special places are under threat. Since the 1950’s around 80% of traditional orchards in the Midlands have been lost. Cheaper imported fruit reduced demand for home-grown apples, while changes to more intensive farming methods meant traditional orchards were neglected or removed in favour of other crops.
National Trust staff and volunteers are working hard to protect, restore and re-create traditional orchards at their places across Shropshire. This work ranges from the planting of new trees and researching how estates were managed in the past, to investigating which varieties were developed and grown in particular areas.
Simon Barker, Wildlife & Countryside Adviser at the National Trust said: “Orchards are incredibly important places for wildlife; they’re the perfect habitat for insects, nesting birds and even bats. Many unusual plants and animals can be found in them, such as mistletoe, fungi and insects like the rare noble chafer beetle. In traditional orchards the trees are widely spaced, so we often manage the land around the trees as meadow grassland, with lots of flowers to encourage bees, butterflies and other natural pollinators that help to fertilise the orchard trees.
“We grow many old and rare varieties of fruit, including pears and plums as well as mulberries, cobnuts, cherries, medlar, quince and of course, apples. At Attingham Park there are 37 varieties of apples which need picking, pressing and juicing, as you can imagine, the autumn’s a very busy time of year.”
The National Trust will be hosting a number of harvest events this autumn, including apple pressing days at Attingham Park, Sunnycroft and Dudmaston. All proceeds from these events go directly back into conservation at the properties, ensuring Shropshire’s historic orchards will continue to thrive for generations to come.
For further details on National Trust orchards, apple day events and volunteering opportunities visit nationaltrust.org.uk/midlands
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