I bought the Orchard in summer 2022. It is in a quiet backwater of North Norfolk - accessed by quiet lanes and bordered by ancient woodland and grazing land. The vision is to create a place where people and nature can rest and regenerate. There is an acre that is being restored as wildflower grassland, scrub and a pond while the other acre is a productive orchard and biomass coppice.
There is a barn-owl that roosts in the open-fronted barn on the land and feeds on the field voles in the grassland. The roof of the barn is in desperate need of repair - the crowd-funder is to fund the repair and a nest box for the owl in the hopes that it breeds next year.
My background is nature conservation and I work as a trauma therapist. I grew up in Norfolk and the land brings together three of my loves: the natural world, my healing work and this part of North Norfolk.
The whole 2 acres is managed for nature. The grassland is mown in rotation to give flowers a chance to flower, provide food for insects and set seed. A thick hedge has been planted along the boundary and areas of scrubland are being left to regenerate to provide food, refuges and nest sites for birds. The pond has been opened up and frogs and smooth newts abound.
The land is a sponge for water, reducing flood risk downstream and captures carbon in the growing vegetation and in cuttings which are mulched back into the land.
There is a productive orchard on part of the site and there is a coppice providing firewood for the stove. Each year more wildflowers, insects, amphibians, birds and mammals are seen.
There is a caravan on the site which we want to use for half day and 3-day retreats for people needing therapy, or just respite from caring responsibilities.
At the moment we have no income and are relying on generously donated time given by local volunteers - we hope to let the caravan to generate some income but are still awaiting planning permission. Some jobs just need money now and the most urgent one at present is the roof of the barn where we store materials and dry the firewood - it is beginning to sag and leak. If we dont fix it soon the joists and wall will begin to rot.
To raise funds for this I am walking from Winterton-on-Sea in Norfolk to The Dedham Vale in Essex via Minsmere and The Suffolk coast path, often deviating to pass through nature reserves along the way in all about 90 miles. Please give - even a few pounds will be a massive help - and I do hope you can come and stay soon.