BBC Countryfile presenter Adam Henson has spoken of his profound sadness after witnessing a dramatic and heartbreaking change in the Gloucestershire landscape surrounding his Cotswolds Farm Park.
A Vanishing Landscape: The Stark Loss of Traditional Orchards
Reflecting on the scene around his farm, where he lives with his wife Charlie, Henson lamented the sharp decline in the number of fruit orchards that once defined the county. The presenter linked this loss directly to the ancient winter tradition of wassailing, a Twelfth Night custom of blessing trees to ensure a good harvest.
"It's heartbreaking that so many orchards have been lost in recent decades," Henson wrote in an article for Cotswold Life, while discussing nature in winter. He described wassailing as a pagan-era practice involving singing, dancing, bonfires, and ample farmhouse cider, which thrived in the region precisely because of its once-abundant orchards.
Trust Warns of Irreplaceable Losses
Henson's personal observations are starkly backed by data from the Gloucestershire Orchard Trust. The trust has issued a sobering warning that shifts in agricultural practices and supermarket purchasing have devastated the county's traditional orchard stock.
In a powerful statement, the trust revealed that Gloucestershire has lost more than 70% of its orchards over the past 50 years. They emphasised that these spaces are not just sources of fruit but hold unique ecological, genetic, heritage, and landscape value that is now increasingly rare and urgently needs conservation.
A Glimmer of Hope and the Hidden Value of Trees
Despite the gloomy outlook, Adam Henson noted a positive resurgence in the wassailing tradition itself, with gatherings now occurring across the region, keeping the ancient custom alive. His concern for trees extends beyond orchards. In a separate piece for the BBC Countryfile website, he passionately defended the importance of veteran trees, often misunderstood as mere decaying wood.
He explained that these ancient trees are biodiversity hotspots. Their holes and crevices provide crucial habitats for a vast array of wildlife, including:
- Woodpeckers, nuthatches, and nesting birds.
- Roosting sites for bats and shelter for dormice and badgers.
- Homes for insects and fungi, which in turn feed animals like squirrels and voles.
- Even great crested newts find refuge in the decaying wood.
For Henson, the loss of each orchard and veteran tree represents a deep cut into the region's environmental and cultural fabric, a sentiment that resonates with conservationists and locals who cherish the iconic Cotswolds landscape.
