A century ago, small orchards were the glory not only of the countryside but of towns and cities across the UK, buzzing with life during the summer and, at this time of year, rich with the sight and scent of blossom.
Even taking into account large commercial concerns, which are not as ecologically rich, the two countries have lost more than half of all orchard space since then., the south-west of England is one of the regions hardest hit, with the area of orchards that have vanished equating to almost twice the size of the city of Bristol.
In urban areas, orchards have mostly been lost to housing and other types of development, while in the countryside they have been uprooted to create more farmland, the report says.
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