Worcestershire County Council

Issue 14 Autumn 2003

Orchards in decline

Research conducted by Worcester City Council on behalf of the Worcester Orchard Workers recently discovered the extent of the decline of Worcestershire’s orchards over the last 100 years.

A comparison of Victorian maps and the most up-to-date maps proved that since the 1900s 80% of Worcestershire’s orchards have been lost, and that of the orchards remaining in the late 1980s, half have since been lost.

Traditional Orchards are an important wildlife habitat, yet are also a fast declining resource in Worcestershire and currently have no legal protection- hence their inclusion in the Worcestershire Biodiversity Action Plan. There are several threatened species closely associated with traditional orchards, such as the Noble Chafer. These rely on the soft rotting heart wood of mature apple trees.

The Worcester Orchard Workers (WOW) are a voluntary group who have been restoring a neglected orchard in Worcester for the last four years.

“since the 1900s 80% of Worcestershire’s orchards have been lost; of the orchards remaining in the late 1980s, half have since been lost. ”