A small group of volunteers has been looking after the site over the last few years on the basis of the Council’s management plan, leaving most of the site largely undisturbed. New fruit trees were planted c.2014 to maintain orchard use, and they are thriving. We have a series of volunteer sessions arranged over the next few months as follows:
The sparkly new Nature's Gym programme for October-December 2017 is now available. We have been to most of the sites before, but some of them, Hare & Billet pond for example, we've not been to for a few years. We do have one new site, Luxmore Gardens, where we will be going on Thursday 9th November … Continue reading Nature’s Gym programme October-December 2017 now available
The community orchard planted in Ladywell Fields in 2011 is thriving, but like any orchard, it needs care and attention if the trees are to grow strongly and avoid disease. This is one of the Friends twice yearly volunteer sessions at which you can learn and help prune the trees, inspect and repair the guards, … Continue reading Orchard volunteering session in Ladywell Fields – Saturday 11 February, 10.30am-12.30pm
Robert Sheppard writes... IONA CLOSE ORCHARD is a wonderful pocket of undisturbed wildlife in the heart of Catford (behind Bournville Road) – but it will deteriorate quickly if not carefully looked-after. It remains quite overgrown, but retains some fine old fruit trees. In common with most old orchards, the site is of high nature conservation … Continue reading Come to support Ladywell Fields’ funding bid on Wednesday 29 January
As part of the successful Local Assembly bid and to satisfy some local residents we planted a number of hawthorn whips along the boundary of the site. Enjoying the slightly warmer weather 19 people turned out to help which meant that we were able to get a lot of work done. Aside from planting almost 300 whips we also … Continue reading Iona Close hedge planting
The London Orchard Project will be running another couple of training sessions at Iona Close Orchard in Ladywell Fields. They ran a couple of training sessions here during the summer, but there is still quite a bit to do. The two sessions will be on Sunday 18 November and Sunday 9 December. For more information … Continue reading London Orchard Project & Ladywell Fields User Group
Once again the Nature’s Gym volunteers found themselves laying a woodchip footpath. They have previously done it at a Local School , De Frene Road allotments and Burnt Ash Pond. A few months ago they also started a new path at Iona Close Orchard. The last time we were at this site we managed to improve our woodchip path making skills … Continue reading How much wood does a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood? – Part 5
The Nature’s Gym volunteers really are getting in to the art of the woodchip footpath having previously done it at a Local School , De Frene Road allotments and Burnt Ash Pond. Luckily they still seem to enjoy it, in fact they are finding new ways of improving the task. They were also able to use previously unknown and hidden talents of … Continue reading How much wood does a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood? – Part 4
Hi all Nature’s Gymers, just to let you know that we will be going ahead as planned at Iona Close Orchard on Thursday 17th May 2012. At this session we will be laying a footpath through the site and building some log piles. For those of you that were there last time, you will notice a lot of changes! … Continue reading Iona Close Orchard confirmed
Iona Close Orchard is a fascinating relic of a Victorian garden. The houses to which it originally belonged date to about 1825. Hidden away behind a few mature ash and Norway maple trees are several fine old fruit trees, apples, pears, plums and a mulberry. Although it has become has become overgrow, it has remained … Continue reading Iona Close Orchard
Nature Conservation Lewisham 