North Littleton Community Orchard & Nature Reserve (NLCO)
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Arrow Lane, North Littleton, WR11 8QS Grid reference SP074 477 Purchased 7th August 2013. Access: Permissive routes around the Reserve. |
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NLCO 2014 - dominated by Wild-oats and thistles
NLCO holds a high vantage point up above the river Avon over-looking the Vale of Evesham.
When VLHT purchased the land in 2013 it was unmanaged fallow land offering a blank canvas to create a new orchard and nature reserve. The orchard planting is focussing on local heritage varieties of apples, pears and plums planted on a wide traditional grid. This will allow the grassland to develop increasing the number of wildflowers and associated insects (includung pollinators). The site was once an orchard and has since grown crops such as Pumpkins and was even a field of Thyme for a while. It was left fallow for a few years and the whole site became dominated by coarse arable weeds including Wild-oat and the yellow-flowered Charlock. Spear Thistle was also locally abundant along with ragwort species. It is the combination of these weed species and the lack of disturbance that made this site important for farmland birds including breeding Skylarks. These are joined in winter by flocks of Goldfinches, Reed Buntings, Linnets, Corn Buntings and Yellowhammers, all taking advantage of the abundant weed seeds. As the site is now being managed there has been a need to supplimentary feed the wintering birds which has proved very successful. We have been assisted by members of the RSPB keen to do something to help the declining farmland birds.
When VLHT purchased the land in 2013 it was unmanaged fallow land offering a blank canvas to create a new orchard and nature reserve. The orchard planting is focussing on local heritage varieties of apples, pears and plums planted on a wide traditional grid. This will allow the grassland to develop increasing the number of wildflowers and associated insects (includung pollinators). The site was once an orchard and has since grown crops such as Pumpkins and was even a field of Thyme for a while. It was left fallow for a few years and the whole site became dominated by coarse arable weeds including Wild-oat and the yellow-flowered Charlock. Spear Thistle was also locally abundant along with ragwort species. It is the combination of these weed species and the lack of disturbance that made this site important for farmland birds including breeding Skylarks. These are joined in winter by flocks of Goldfinches, Reed Buntings, Linnets, Corn Buntings and Yellowhammers, all taking advantage of the abundant weed seeds. As the site is now being managed there has been a need to supplimentary feed the wintering birds which has proved very successful. We have been assisted by members of the RSPB keen to do something to help the declining farmland birds.
Spiny Restharrow
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Buzzards, Sparrowhawks and Kestrel are regular visitors to the site and Red Kites are being seen more regularly overhead. Hobby are occassionally seen in summer and Merlin have been seen hunting the flocks of small birds in winter. Roe Deer, Fox and Badger are known to forage across the field. Wood Mice and Field Vole are Common and a Harvest Mouse nest was found here in 2018. The south-west corner of the site is the most floristically interesting with Black Knapweed, Wild Carrot, Woolly Thistle and Pyramidal Orchids. These species are slowly spreading across the site and new species have appeared including Greater Butterfly Orchid and Spiny Restharrow.
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Bombardier Beetle at NLCO
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A few years of careful grassland management and 'weed' control has resulted in a far more diverse grassland flora at NLCO
Greater Butterfly Orchid has been added to the plant list at NLCO
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Thanks to a Landfill Communities Fund grant from Severn Waste Services we were able to purchase a compact tractor and topper. This has allowed us to manage the troublesome weeds (thistles, ragworts etc.) at NLCO and other grasslands, resulting in a much more diverse flora; the rank arable grasses have been replaced in many reas by vetches, vetchlings, clovers, medicks and other wildflowers. This in turn has increased biodiversity on site by providing nectar for many different insects, while ensuring there is still a plentiful supply of seeds for the various farmland birds.
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SWS funded the purchase of
a compact tractor and topper
Grass Vetchling has benefitted fom our grassland management
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The site also has a rich social history and many Roman pottery pieces have been found along with a few coins. South Worcestershire Archaeology Group (SWAG) under took a geophysical survey in 2015 which revealed outlines of round huts suggesting that the site was inhabited during the Iron Age. There is an ancient track which drops down to the river Avon and is just visible as a slightly raised ridge across the floodplain.
Roman pottery from NLCO
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Evidence of early (possibly Iron Age) occupation of NLCO
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The hovels on site have been restored as part of a Lottery-funded project looking at the market gardening heritage of the area. These little huts were once a common site across the Vale and would have provided shelter for the market gardeners but 80% of them have disappeared.
Hovel was just visible in 2014
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Clearing started
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NLCO hovel in need of TLC
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Restoration work underway 2019
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Restoration nearly complete
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Job done 2020
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Further Information:
Explore the Past - Hovels Project
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