Iona Orchard is a designated Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) on the southern boundary of Ladywell Fields. It was formerly a traditional orchard in the gardens of the pair of villas on Ravensbourne Park close to the junction with Bournville Road.
Having fallen into disuse some time around the middle of the last century the site was 'rediscovered' in 2012/13 and in recent years has been managed in a 'light touch' way by the Council's Ecological Regeneration Manager and by volunteers as a nature reserve. A number of young fruit trees have been planted with help from The Orchard Project (apples, pears, fig, plum and a mulberry tree) and the management of the orchard has been devised to regenerate some of these fruit tree varieties as well as carefully manage the veteran trees that remain.
The site is currently owned jointly by the Borough of Lewisham and by L&Q Housing Association.
There is a Management Plan in place which sets out the way the site will be managed and what the priorities are between 2022-27. It includes a site map which outlines the key plan elements in diagrammatic form.
For information on future volunteer workdays, open days etc. in Iona Orchard, please email IonaOrchardCatford@yahoo.com
.jpg)
