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- Thomas Ellis Way, Tredegar NP22 4QF
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- Management Plan
Our Vision
To be able to offer a facility for educational purposes, that support health & wellbeing, promotes wildlife and encouraged biodiversity but also one that can become sustainable through trading opportunities and income generation.
To link in with other like-minded groups, share ideas and knowledge and to hold annual events such wassails.
What we want to achieve?
Tredegar had been and industrial town since the late 1700’s after a long decline the steel works finally closed in 2001 and Tredegar became a post –industrial town and along with other post-industrial towns now suffering rising poverty and social exclusion. It is said that Tredegar is at the top of every league table you don’t want to be top of. Sirhowy Woodlands was the spoil tip for the Iron Works.
The reasons the group feels it is important to regenerate the area, to reclaim our green spaces which have become neglected and abused over a long period of time. The aim is to get people out and about and enjoying their green spaces.
The area was a spoil tip, creating fecundity out of barrenness restoring it as best as possible to it previous form pre-industrialisation. A lot of money has been spent in the area, but our aim is to future proof it and promoting health and wellbeing.
History of Orchards in Tredegar
Currently there are few, if any orchards in Blaenau Gwent as you can see from this map by Peoples Trust For Endangered Species who have surveyed England and Wales for orchards. The elevation of the area: 322 m (1056 ft).
Pre-industrialisation there were orchards in Tredegar, in Powells History of Tredegar he describes:
Previous to the beginning of the present century the district was inhabited by farmers and their shepherds, the hills clothed with trees on each side, ferns and flowers, in rich profusion, were growing everywhere. Farmhouses and pretty little orchards dotted the surface, whose inhabitants were congenial companions, sketches of which fill the mind with poetical associations, and carry us back to those ancient times when “Nature, in all her primitive grandeur”, reigned supreme.
So to be able to put back in our small way an orchard in Tredegar is like restoring a little piece of history.
The Orchard itself
Site Location
Tree Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Variety
Viv’s Red
Llandinam Permain
Fredrick
Pendragon
Bardsdey
Sams Crab
Llanachaeron Beauty
Bakers Delicious
Cadwallader
Old Chapel Discovery
Pengaled
Tretower Cats head
Pertheyre
Twylldyn Gwydd
Margoed Nicholas
Pig yr Wyd
Painted Meadow
Planted By
John Morgan, Alyson Tippings and Rosie Richards
John Morgan, Alyson Tippings and Rosie Richards
John Morgan, Alyson Tippings and Rosie Richards
Gwynfor, Freya & Poppy Evans
Kai Murphy
Ellen Jones & Les
Ellen Jones & Les
Ellen Jones & Les
Maisy Murphy & Sally Morgan
Cathy Johnson, Helen and Chloe Simmonds
Cathy Johnson, Helen and Chloe Simmonds
Oriel Price
Sally Morgan & Maisy Murphy
Chris & Freya Engle
Ellen Jones & Chris
Chris & Freya Engle
Ellen Jones & Les
Community
The group would look to change people’s perception of the outside, this is a symptom of modern living with children and some adults stuck to their little screens, being outside in the fresh air is something that has been lost. In an area where healthy living agenda is very important and where it is high in all the league in all the lists you don’t want to be on. The creation of this community orchard fits in with the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and is an opportunity to reintegrate with the outdoors into people’s lives and meet the health and wellbeing agenda.
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 1
- Keep the immediate footprint of trees clear.
- Mulching of bases, keep the bases clear.
- No chemical use, physical and mechanical weed suppressant.
- Flatten the area off, with a rotator.
- Sow grass and wildflower seeds
Year 2
- Keep the immediate footprint of trees clear.
- Mulching of bases.
- No chemical use, physical and mechanical weed suppressant.
- Inspection of orchard- cutting out any deadwood
- Look for any faults in the trees, formative pruning.
- Cut and collect twice a year.
Year 3
- Keep the immediate footprint of trees clear.
- Mulching of bases.
- No chemical use, physical and mechanical weed suppressant.
- Inspection of orchard- cutting out any deadwood
- Look for any faults in the trees, formative pruning.
- Cut and collect twice a year.
Year 4
- Keep the immediate footprint of trees clear.
- Mulching of bases.
- No chemical use, physical and mechanical weed suppressant.
- Inspection of orchard- cutting out any deadwood
- Look for any faults in the trees, formative pruning.
- Cut and collect twice a year.
Year 5
- Keep the immediate footprint of trees clear.
- Mulching of bases.
- No chemical use, physical and mechanical weed suppressant.
- Inspection of orchard- cutting out any deadwood
- Look for any faults in the trees, formative pruning.
- Cut and collect twice a year.
Access
Access, open public access via a style into the orchard itself.. Point of access off the road, only permitted vehicular access. There will be supervised activities.