About the reserve

A picturesque slice of the countryside, this mix of traditional and new orchard, newly planted grassland and ponds was left to the trust in 1995.

Since then, the mixed fruit orchard has been sympathetically restored to its former glory, with the two fields either side planted with a new orchard, grafted from the old trees, and the other planted with a conservation grass mix.

When walking around the grassland plot, keep an eye out for scarce Large Carder Bees foraging on Spear Thistle, White Dead-nettle, Red Clover and Red Bartsia during the summer. This little bee is the focus of the conservation efforts at the reserve, with the Trust’s flying flock of sheep brought in to graze below the trees, ensuring the abundance of the bee’s foraging plants throughout the summer months.

More recently there has even been a small population of Common Spotted Orchids found growing in the grassland!