Chattern Hill Orchard is a lovely traditional orchard in the heart of a nature reserve in west London. There are over 40 apple trees which are up to 70 years old, many of these being local varieties. In 2019 a Feltham Beauty, Spring Grove Codlin and two of the rare Hounslow Wonder were planted in the orchard.
Where can I find it? Chattern Hill Orchard lies within Bedfont Lakes Country Park in the borough of Hounslow. The orchard can be found in the south side of the park near the entrance off Challenge Road.
Can I visit? The site is open to the public year-round during daylight hours.
How do I get there? A 30-minute walk from Ashford Station, or the 117 bus stops close to the reserve entrance.
What is there?
There are over 40 apple trees including veteran Granny Smith and Golden Delicious. Younger trees planted around 20 years ago include Merton Pippin, Pinner Seedling, John Apple, Blenheim Orange and Annie Elizabeth. Feltham Beauty, Hounslow Wonder and Spring Grove Codlin were planted in 2019.
History
There were extensive orchards in this area planted around the 1920s. After this the site was used for gravel extraction, then as a waste dump, then finally as a nature reserve. Old maps never show an orchard at the location where Chattern Hill is today, but given the size of some of the older trees, it’s likely these are remnants of the orchard of the early 20th Century.
Biodiversity highlights and habitat
The nature reserve as a whole is a wildlife haven due to its range of habitats including lakes and reed beds. 156 species of bird, 124 of moth, 97 types of fungi and 20 mammals have been recorded around Chattern Hill Orchard. It is a good place to see wildflowers in the spring, with a carpet of bluebells and sweet violet. There are honeybees kept on site which ensure pollination.
Working together
The Orchard Project worked with the community in the late 2010s to clear much of the bramble which was crowding the fruit trees. The trees were mulched and guards replaced to protect trees from rabbits. The mature trees were pruned in the winter and some new local varieties were planted. The varieties which were identified were given labels with their cultivar and picking date.
Learn more about our restoration work and Celebration of Orchards project here.
To the best of our knowledge, the information on this webpage is correct, but it is possible that some of it is out-of-date.