King's Lane Orchard Nature Reserve
Kings Lane Orchard
Location
OS Map Reference
SY5178896016
Know before you go
Entry fee
N/AParking information
Roadside parking around pub.Bicycle parking
NoGrazing animals
Sheep in spring to autumnWalking trails
Open access
Please click here for more information and guidance about dogs on DWT nature reserves.
Access
Small gate by house or field gate at eastern end of site. No made paths. Ground can be boggy towards stream.
Enter the reserve by the little gate from the road just to the east of Hillside Cottage and wander around the orchard or pick a spot for a picnic. For the main part, the site slopes gently down towards the stream but there are unprotected banks to the eastern side of the reserve. The site is briefly grazed by sheep each year when electric fencing is used around the egde of the stream. The ground can be wet and boggy near the steam and ticks may be present on site - see our Visitor Information page for more information about grazing animals and general countryside hazards.
Dogs
When to visit
Opening times
Open at all timesBest time to visit
Spring for apple blossom & early flowersAbout the reserve
In spring white and pink blossom delicately adorns the trees of this community orchard, sprinkling petals on the meadow beneath as it gently slopes towards a small stream. At the edge of the village of Powerstock, the King’s Lane reserve is a remnant of the cider apple orchards that were once a common sight around the village and provides an ideal spot for a picnic or peaceful stroll amongst the blossom and early spring wildflowers. Alongside the older apple trees which, as they decay, provide an ideal habitat for invertebrates and lichens, new trees have been planted with help of the local school, rejuvenating the orchard.
If you visit in spring and late summer you’ll find a variety of water-loving flower species, such as marsh marigold, ragged robin, moschatel and opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage. Common butterflies, including the meadow brown and small tortoiseshell can be found. In addition to visiting the flowers, come Autumn the butterflies can be seen feasting on the sugars of fallen apples. Beyond the sloping meadow, the stream on the orchard’s southern border, its banks diffused with ferns and liverworts, is visited by passing otters.
Further information about the site’s history and notable species, including pictures, can be downloaded here.
Useful Information
Following the road heading east from the centre of Powerstock village, the reserve is about 500m after The Three Horseshoes Inn on King’s Lane.
Species
Habitat
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