Nature Reserve and Orchard

The farm.

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Much of the land at Higher Plot is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) It is rare unimproved limestone grassland that has never had any form of chemical fertiliser or herbicide applied and so has a huge range of grasses and wild flowers. We manage it to encourage a wide range of flora and fauna to the extent that when it was originally surveyed, the land was said to have the widest bio-diversity to be found in Somerset. There are more than 20 butterfly species and rare orchids including Bee, Pyramidal and White Hellebore. The orchard is hundreds of years old and lies on terracing that are possibly Roman or more likely, Saxon Lynchetts and so more than 1000 years old. We work by replacing trees and grazing the land with sheep from Pitney Farm.