Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness: Fruit, food and wildlife in Yorkshire’s Countryside.

Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness

Edited by Margaret Atherden.

PLACE 2009.

ISBN: 978-1-906604-18-9.

Price £2.50.

46pp 25 colour plates.

Summaries of the papers from a conference held in Ampleforth in 2008 to assess the value of traditional orchards for both food and wildlife. Barry Potter reviews the diverse uses for old orchards, from fruit production and livestock grazing to wildlife conservation and orchards weddings. Simon Clark of the Northern Fruit Group outlines a key to identification of apple varieties. Philip Lyth of the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group discusses the value of old orchards for wildlife, whilst David Chesmore focuses on their moth fauna. Pat Wilson describes a research project to identify and map the lost orchards of Nidderdale. Laura Mason describes the Slow Food Movement and the orchard heritage.