Orchard A Year in England’s Eden, Nick Gates

An inspiring talk celebrating the wildlife of orchards by author and wildlife documentary film-maker Nick Gates.


Orchards have been a traditional component of the British landscape for many centuries. However, the majority of old orchards have been destroyed and now only a fraction remain. As late as 1991, there was Government legislation - ‘The Apple Orchard Grubbing Up Regulation’ - that paid for the removal of orchards.

The value of these orchards for wildlife, as well as people, has long been underestimated. Old orchards are crucibles of biodiversity, playing home to a wealth of wildlife from beetles to butterflies, hedgehogs to dormice.

Nick Gates and Ben Macdonald spent years visiting a magical traditional orchard, uncovering more of its stories each season and observing its imperilled and overlooked abundance of life. Their book, Orchard: A Year in England’s Eden was the result of their passion.

Nick's talk is a celebration of the extraordinary range of wildlife an ancient orchard supports, making it one of the richest ecosystems left in Britain. Nick shares how he brought many of the principles that makes the orchard such a fantastic wildlife haven into his own small wildlife garden in Bristol, with some really notable species successes, including Purple Hairstreak and Great Crested Newt.

This event is a collaboration between Moor Meadows and Orchard Link, both grassroots community groups based in Devon. Moor Meadows are a not-for-profit organisation, run by volunteers passionate about meadows and nature. Their mission is to celebrate the wonderful diversity of native plants and wildlife to be found in species-rich grasslands and to help reverse the trend of wildlife declines. For more information visit: Moor Meadows

Orchard Link is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organisation run by and for orchard, apple and cider enthusiasts in South Devon. The group run training workshops and talks and you can hire excellent professional quality equipment from presses to pasteurisers.