Nature Reserves > Local Reserves > Tewin Orchard and Hopkins Wood
Tewin Orchard and Hopkins Wood
This reserve is situated in quiet and typically English countryside near Tewin. Wildlife abounds particularly butterflies, birds and badgers.
Tewin Orchard represents an almost extinct feature of the English countryside: that of small village orchards with varied and often local fruit trees. Today not only is the orchard good for apples and pears but many forms of wildlife, including the rare white letter hairstreak butterfly. In autumn and winter the windfall apples attract large numbers of redwings, fieldfares and blackbirds. Other birds using the orchard include yellowhammers, greenfinches, linnets and goldfinches.
In contrast, Hopkyns Wood is a shady oak and hornbeam wood with ground flora dominated by bluebells and garlic-smelling ransoms in springtime. Its real secret is the old and complex badger sett.
The meadow adjoining the wood and leading up to a mammal watching hide (see below) also belongs to the Trust and is used by badgers and other animals, providing a safe 'corridor' from the wood to the orchard and somewhere for them to forage for food.
The reserve's mammal watching hide is available for bookings throughout the summer months, through the Herts and Middlesex Badger Group.
Tewin Orchard is leased to the Trust by the RSPB. Hopkyns Wood was given to the Trust by Dr J Hopkyns in 1971.
The Wildlife Trust is restoring the orchard by planting traditional fruit varieties. The orchard was planted in 1933 with varieties such as Egremont Russet and Laxtone Fortune, and at one time the fruit was auctioned on the strength of the blossom.
