Iona Close Orchard
Opening times
The site is locked, but the friends and volunteers have regular open and work days. For more information on this, please contact the Friends Group.
Flora and fauna
Iona Close Orchard is a fascinating relic of a Victorian garden. Hidden away behind a few mature ash and Norway maple trees are several fine old fruit trees, apples, pears, plums and a mulberry.
The site has remained largely undisturbed, and is a haven for wildlife.
In addition to the trees there are a number of uncommon invertebrates which specialise in feeding on dead wood or sap runs on fruit trees. One such species found at this site is the red belted clearwing moth. Fruit and nectar also provide food for other foraging insects and birds.
The Orchard is at the southern end of Ladywell Fields and is a designated 'Site of Importance for Nature Conservation' (SINC) and is currently owned jointly by the Borough of Lewisham and by L&Q Housing Association.
Restoration
Formerly the site had several fruit trees nestling within this vegetation, including fine old specimens of plum (Prunus domestica), pear (Pyrus communis) and apple (Malus domestica) and an ancient, gnarled black mulberry (Morus nigra). Most of these trees have now disappeared apart from several old pears.
Old orchards are generally of high nature conservation value. There are a number of uncommon invertebrates which specialise in feeding on dead wood or sap runs on fruit trees. One such species found at this site is the red belted clearwing moth. Fruit and nectar also provide food for foraging insects and birds. Old orchards may also be culturally valuable, containing old varieties of fruit trees which are now rare in cultivation.
A number of young fruit trees have been planted as part of The Orchard Project (apples, fig, plum and a mulberry tree) and the management of the orchard has been devised to regenerate some of these fruit tree varieties and to carefully manage the trees that remain.
Recent planting in the orchard has included hawthorn and blackthorn whips, an apple, plum, fig and a mulberry tree. The current management of the orchard has been devised to regenerate some of these fruit tree varieties and to carefully manage the trees that remain.
Ecology
This old orchard, bounded by Ladywell Fields, Iona Close, Ravensbourne Park Road and the back gardens of Bournville Road is rather overgrown, but retains some fine old fruit trees.
A large part of the site is covered with ash trees but there are two large pedunculate oaks near the western boundary. Other areas are covered in dense scrub including bramble and elder., There is also an abundance of ivy (Hedera helix) scrambling over the ground and reaching up the branches of trees and a patch of snowberry that is spreading from the north west corner of the site.