Some of the sites submitted to the development list are alarming, to say the least. The irreplaceable water meadows on the River Colne, the picturesque countryside around the zoo, and of course, the unique Irvine Road Orchard.
See for yourself!
Exactly how rare are ancient orchards?
There are very few ancient orchards around. As far as we know (through information gleaned from several sources including the Orchard Network which has a register of all urban orchards in England) There are 4 traditional urban orchards left in Essex. None of the others appear to be ancient orchards, so the Irvine Road Orchard is probably unique.
There’s no doubt that it is a special place and it would be a tragedy if it were lost simply to make a fast buck for some ruthless property developer.
Let the Colchester Borough Council Planning Department know what you think, email them at:
planning.policy@colchester.gov.uk
Source: www.orchardnetwork.org.uk/
Who lives in the Irvine Road Orchard?
Animals known to live and feed and/or breed in the orchard include:
Foxes
Muntjac deer
Roe deer
Hedgehogs
Stag beetles
Bats, of various species
Noble chafers
Great Crested Newts
Sparrowhawks
Herons
Greater Spotted Woodpeckers
Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers
Green Woodpeckers
Blackcaps
Chiffchaffs
Sedge warblers
Garden warblers
Pied wagtails
Yellow wagtails
Tawny owls
Little owls
Short Eared Owls
Wrens
Robins
Dunnocks
Sparrows
Song Thrushes
Linnets
Long Tailed Tits
Goldfinches
Coal tits
Bullfinches
Various types of frogs, toads
Grass snakes
Adders
Woodcock
It’s quite a list and still growing as the orchard is the end of the last continuous green strip in the South Western area of Colchester, so is part of a much wider and more important network of open spaces.
The Irvine Road Orchard: photos
Photos of the orchard:
The whole area is an amazingly diverse wildlife habitat as it’s been virtually undisturbed for over 100 years
The orchard is well known for containing some very old and rare fruit trees, most of which still produce good crops.
The hedgerows are particularly important for Stag Beetles, Great Crested Newts and a wide variety of small animals & insects.
