The idea behind the Community Woodland Orchard at Combe Farm is to use native and traditional plants (those grown locally for a very long time without becoming invasive) to produce a great diversity of fruits, nuts, vegetables, herbs, fuel and craft crops.
This is to be used as a community resource that promotes many things such as local nutritious food, working together, knowledge sharing, biodiversity, sustainability, carbon absorption, exercise and well being for local residents and visitors.
To provide for the needs of wildlife (along with people) a wide range of habitats have been created on the site and a huge number of different types of moths, butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies, grasshoppers, crickets, bats and birds have been seen.
The project was designed as part of a Permaculture Design course (see https://www.permaculture.org.uk for more information) run at the farm through the Spiral Centre over the winter of 2007. Work on the field began in 2008 with group tree planting sessions, followed by further sessions to plant bushes. Since then plants have continually been added to the site (there are now over 60 different varieties), many of these have been donated by local people.
The Community Woodland Orchard is open for people to visit all the time (but no dogs please) and can be accessed through the signed gate on Higher Lane in Axmouth. If arriving by car it is better to park on Chapel Street and walk up the footpath next to the bus shelter (opposite Stepps Lane) which leads up to Higher Lane (turn right at the top of the footpath and the Woodland Orchard gate is about 250m up the lane).
This one acre site is set out over a south facing slope and has a large shelter with two benches. A logbook can be found in a box in the shelter in which people can add their comments and wildlife sightings. Another bench at the top of the orchard offers fantastic views over the valley. There is a large wildlife ponds so young children visiting need to be supervised.
This site is provided for the benefit of local people and visitors by Combe Farm owner Christina Bows and maintained by volunteer work party sessions which are generally held on the 1st & 3rd Tuesday morning of each month, but please contact Christina to check if you are coming for the first time.
The Spiral Centre Ltd, Combe Farm, Axmouth, Seaton, Devon EX12 4AU
Contact: Christina Bows on 01297 23822
or email tinabows@hotmail.com
The Spiral Centre 