Lanhydrock Estate had until recently regrettably few orchards
which traditionally had been a fundamental part of the Estate.
In 2009 the Estate planted Dewey Damson Orchard in order to
start to readdress the balance. The orchard is planted
neighbouring an existing long abandoned orchard which was
featured in the Lanhydrock Estate map of 1881. Damson trees of
local provenance were selected where possible, also Gages, Grey
Plum, Kea Plum and Bullace; the oldest form of Damson found in
wild hedgerows. All the trees were selected for their damson-
like properties, flavor, tradition and local importance and
highly cultivated forms were avoided. All the fruits have
different flavours, making the most versatile crop as far as
culinary uses are concerned. To maximize the wildlife value of
the orchard, a native hedge has been planted around the
boundary. The hedge is predominantly Blackthorn, with Dog Rose,
Guelder Rose, Wild Cherry, Wild Plum and Dogwood in lesser
proportions. The aim is to harvest the Blackthorn sloe