Restoring Cock Road Ridge community orchard

The Community Orchard at Cock Road Ridge was originally developed in the 1990s by the Friends of Cock Road Ridge group, built around the remains of Pow’s Fruit Farm, a former commercial orchard. When the group disbanded in 2017, the site became overgrown, with scrub and brambles taking over the trees.

Janine, our Project Officer, approached South Gloucestershire Council last August with funding through the Orchards for Pollinators project (WECA funded), to support clearing the overgrowth and run a Restorative Orchard Pruning workshop. With help from HMP Leyhill’s work experience team and a contractor, we reclaimed much of the orchard by clearing the brambles and scrub, making space for Janine’s pruning workshop with the local community.

With the orchard more accessible again, we’re hopeful it will spark interest in looking after the fruit trees and wider green space. Traditional orchards are an important priority habitat under the UK’s Biodiversity Action Plan, supporting wildlife, connecting people with nature, and preserving an important part of South Gloucestershire’s heritage.

We’d love to see a new community group come together to help care for the site and keep it thriving.

If you’d like to get involved with this orchard, please get in touch with Richard Aston at South Gloucestershire Council via richard.aston@southglos.gov.uk