Traditional orchards in the UK are under enormous threat, declining a staggering 90% since the 1950s (People’s Trust for Endangered Species). Orchards, even as small as five trees, are a designated ‘priority habitat’ under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) for their value as wildlife habitat. Sadly most of these orchards have disappeared over years of development and competition for land.

Trees for Cities is working in partnership with Tower Hamlets council and the local community to plant 20 fruit trees in Victoria Park to create a community orchard to help restore the UK's orchard heritage. The orchard will improve the quality of site and benefit wildlife while providing an area where local people, community groups or schools can come together to relax, socialise or undertake activities based around the orchard. This rich habitat will attract birds, bats, pollinating insects and other invertebrates, increasing the biodiversity and ecological value of Victoria Park.

Orchard design A broad mix of fruit tree species selected through community consultation will be laid out across the site to sit naturally within the surroundings, connecting the existing tree copses. Trees will be planted as large standards with clear stems of 1.8m high and 2-3m away from the paths, ensuring sightlines are mantained throughout the orchard while providing a beautiful flower display in spring and a delicious range of fruits in summer.

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Orchard tree species Cherry plum No 1 Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra' - For eating from August White and black mulberry 1 2 3 No 2 Morus alba - For eating from September No 3 Morus nigra - For eating from September Gage No 4 Punus domestica var italica 'Reine Claude d' Oullins' - For eating from August 2 3 4 Quince 10 5 No 5,6 Cydonia oblonga 'Fruitful' - For cooking from October 8 9 4 5,6 7,8 1 7 6 Plum 12 11 13 No 7,8 Prunus domestica 'Victoria' - For eating from September 16 Damson 15 17 14 No 9,10 Prunus domestica var insititia 'Hauszwetsche' - For eating/cooking from 20 Old English 18 September 19 9,10 11,20 Garden 12 No 11,20 domestica '' - For cooking from September No 14 Malus domestica 'Bramley Seedling' - For cooking from October No 18 Malus domestica '' - For eating from October No 19 Malus domestica '' - For eating from October 13 14 15 Pear No 12 Pyrus communis 'Doyenne du Comice' - For eating from October No 13 Pyrus communis 'Beurre Hardy' - For eating from October Crab apple No 15 Malus x zumi 'Golden Hornet' - For cooking existing hedge Medlar 16,17 18 19 No 16,17 Mespilus germanica - For eating/cooking from October

1, 2. 3, 4. Interpretation board Roding Valley Orchard 35 36 Project: Victoria Park Community Orchard 34

On 23rd January 2016, Trees for Cities, in partnership with Birds Plants R O 5, 6. Christmas Pippin 7, 8. Claygate R

Vision RCL, came together with volunteers, school groups, and Orchards attract a variety of bird As well as the trees themselves the ground D

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v I members of the local community to plant this traditional orchard. life including tits, thrushes, finches flora will be left as a wildflower meadow, 32 N e and flycatchers. The lesser spotted another important habitat for wildlife. The G

r The day was a huge success, with a turnout of 75 people 30 L woodpecker, Britain’s smallest and rarest variety of flowers such as cowslips, ragged 31 29 A

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planting 36 mixed variety fruit trees. woodpecker, relies on old trees with robin, cut leaved cranesbill and ground 28 N o

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27 decaying wood to provide nesting sites. ivy provide a haven for butterflies, bees d 26 The project is part of wider 25 S An interpretation board will be The loss of dead and decaying woodland and other insects. We hope in time that O i 24 n 9, 10. Cox Self Fertile 11, 12. () habitat enhancement works habitats, it is thought, has been responsible mistletoe will develop. Heritage varieties U

g 23 T along the Roding Valley. for the woodpecker’s rapid population of orchard trees were chosen where 22 H decline. Mistletoe is renowned as an possible to give a traditional orchard feel. 21 Traditional orchards have 20 orchard dweller and often a black cap or A full list of the trees present can be seen declined by over 60% since 19 Projects Office: Mistle-thrush can be spotted amongst the on the map. the 1950s. They are a listed in branches feasting on its berries. A stag beetle loggery has been installed 17 18 16 the London Biodiversity Action on the meadow side of the park. Drawing title: Orchard Design Fungi 15 14, 18. Ellison’s Orange 15, 16. Plan (BAP) as key biodiversity hotspots, providing a haven for 14 Stag Beetle Loggery wildlife including pollinators and other invertebrates. The space 12 13 installed in the orchard which will is also open to the local community and schools as an area of A stag beetle loggery has been 11 The Old 1 O'Clock Club installed on the meadow side of relaxation and place to forage for free fruit. Super pollinating 10 the park. You are here W E trees line the path into the orchard meadow, enhancing Loggeries are made up of piles 9 pollination and fruit production. of dead wood and are a part of 8 13, 17. Fortune 19, 20. Herefordshire Russet London’s Biodiversity Action Plan to 7 Insects Mammals Fungi are known to unlock nutrients in preserve stag beetle populations, the soil and are believed to be the key which rely on rotting wood to raise Ruskin Park Insects are the unsung heroes of the A traditionally managed orchard to prolonging the lives of trees and are their larvae. Stag beetles have rapidly 6 ecological world bringing a variety of can be hugely beneficial to small often of conservation value themselves. declined across the UK, in part due to benefits to people such as pollination mammals. Allowing the orchard’s Aging orchards are excellent for a variety the clearance of dead wood from parks 5 of crops and plants, breakdown wildflower meadow and grassland inform about fruit tree species, the of fungi, providing dead and decaying and gardens. of waste and organic matter and to grow long will support a vast 4 21, 22. Keswick Codlin 23, 24. Laxton’s Superb matter to feed on as well as open recycling of plant nutrients. Without number of mini-beasts which act as grassland areas for fruiting bodies to occur. 3

insects these natural processes would an excellent food supply. The active London A favourite of many traditional orchards

be greatly slowed down and life little shrew feasts on insects and ary d N is the wax cap family, it is intolerant to 2 1 Boun would become very difficult. different bat species are specialised Park chemicals and therefore an excellent S in eating beetles, midges and moths. The diversity of habitats present within indicator of high quality grasslands. Its Tussocks and long grassland gives an orchard allows it to support an fruiting bodies range from a honey colour, array of insects and pollinators. Sunny shelter to small mammals like the to scarlet and even peacock! 25, 26. Red Devil 27, 28. open spaces, wildflowers and tree wood mouse and field vole. Bats Orchard Apple 1, 2. Beauty of Bath Use: Eating, 13, 17. Fortune Use: Eating, Pick: Sept, Super pollinators Pick: Aug, Heritage: Somerset 19th c. Heritage: Bedford 1904 SE5 8EL Scale & Sheet size: 1:1500 @ A3 blossom attract foraging bees and roost in small crevices and holes in Lichens Species 3, 4. Blenheim Orange Use: Eating/ 19, 20. Herefordshire Russet Use: Eating, As in traditional orchards, an Cooking, Pick: Oct, Heritage: Oxford 1740) Pick: Nov, Heritage: 17th c. butterflies which help to pollinate the aging trees. (Malus domestica) avenue of pollinating trees will use and harvesting periods along Lichens are half fungi half algae yet often 5, 6. Christmas Pippin Use: Eating, 21, 22. Keswick Codlin fruits. Tree bark houses overwintering A mixture of varieties have been Pick: Oct, Heritage: Somerset 2000 Use: Eating/Cooking, Pick: Aug, be planted along the perimeter look quite leafy and plant like. They are Heritage: 18th c. insects such as ladybird, an important selected for use, flavour, harvest 7, 8. Use: Eating, of the orchard. As well as slow growing and often intolerant to Pick: Oct, Heritage: Surrey 1921 23, 24. Laxton’s Superb Use: Eating, predator of aphids and a garden Pick: Oct, Heritage: Bedford 1897 ensuring cross-pollination, these time,and flowering group. Where 9, 10. Cox Self Fertile Use: Eating, Pick: friend. Crevices and rot holes are pollution so act as an excellent indicator possible, heritage varieties Oct, Heritage: Bristol 1975 25, 26. Red Devil Use: Eating, trees are excellent for jelly Pick: Sept, Heritage: Kent, 1979 11, 12. Dabinett (Cider) Use: Cider, making and pressing into cider. especially prized by the noble chafer of air quality. The golden-eye lichen was (dating pre-1900) were selected 29, 30. Yellow Ingestrie 31, 33. Malus ‘John Downie’ Pick: Nov, Heritage: Martock, 27, 28. Ribston Pippin Use: Eating, Trees will not exceed 10m. thought to be extinct in the UK in 2005 but in keeping with the heritage Somerset 19th c. Pick: Oct, Heritage: Yorkshire 18th c. Tel: 0207 840 5954 beetle, Hoverflies (another friend to value of the site. All trees were 14, 18. Ellison’s Orange Use: Eating, 29, 30. Yellow Ingestrie Use: Eating, 31, 33. ‘John Downie’ - Crabapple Malus the gardener) and the nationally rare two years later it was discovered in an sourced from Frank P Matthews, Pick: Sept, Heritage: Lincoln 1904 Pick: Sept, Heritage: Shropshire circa 1800 34, 35. ‘Red Sentinel’ - Orchard in Herefordshire. 15, 16. Egremont Russet Use: Eating, Crabapple Malus x robusta 0 15 30 45 60 75m Brown Tree Ant. a local orchard grower based in Pick: Oct, Heritage: Sussex 19th c. 32, 36. ‘Golden Hornet’ - rural Worcestershire. Crabapple Malus x zumi

with the wider benefits to wildlife. 34, 35. Malus x robusta ‘Red Sentinel’ 32, 36. Malus x zumi ‘Golden Hornet’ Email: [email protected]

Registered Charity Number: 1032154 Drawing number: UF1803/01 Rev. Date: 13/03/2019 Example of interpretation board