St Ives Community Orchard – A Real Hidden Gem

St Ives Community Orchard – Fruit Trees, Bees & Wassailing

St Ives Community Orchard is a beautiful and inspiring place situated behind the play park and industrial estate on Penbeagle Hill in St Ives. It has views over the sea and the moors and really is a hidden gem.

The orchard is run by volunteers (anyone can come along and help!) headed up by a lovely lady called Elise. She and the amazing team of volunteers have planted over 150 fruit trees and turned what was a unloved, untended patch of land into a wonderful wildlife habitat.

Volunteer At St Ives Community Orchard

Volunteers are always needed and welcomed at the orchard. You can go along on one of their work party days (during the Summer months these are every week plus some Sundays, but during the Winter months they do vary). Work involves planting trees, plants and wildflowers, clearing brambles and bracken, clearing pathways, pruning trees, looking after the beehives and helping on the community events days.

No experience is needed to volunteer and you can work at your own pace. Families with children and dogs are more than welcome.

To find out when the days and times are for volunteering check their facebook, or text on 07585 777 110.

You can also visit the St Ives Community Orchard website here >>

Community Events At St Ives Orchard

The orchard holds regular events, where anyone is welcome to come along.

There is always food and music and a great atmosphere.

They have had Wassails, Apple Days, Beltane, Solstice celebrations and Easter Egg Hunts which are all brilliant fun.

Beehives At St Ives Orchard

There is a hidden space at the back of the orchard where the 3 beehives live.

The hives are all top bar hives (this means the bees make the comb from the top bars like they would in the wild). The hives were built by Duwayne. They follow the principles of the Natural Beekeeping Trust, which aims to work in harmony with the bees and let them live as much as they can as they would in the wild. The orchard only takes honey from them when they know they have more than enough honey to last them over the Winter. They don’t feed them sugar water and they limit interference as much as possible.

The orchard is planted with many wildflowers and are totally organic. They are creating a wonderful environment for the bees to flourish!

My daughter’s class at school was doing a project on bees and how important they are to the environment. They went up to the orchard where Elise did a lovely talk all about their bees. The children got to see the beehives and lots of bees in action, collecting pollen from the wildflowers all around the orchard.

Hope Wood

At the back of the orchard there is a little pathway through Hope Wood. This leads up the hill and onto the outcrop of rocks at the very top - the one we call Lockdown Rock! It is a beautiful place to walk and the view from the top is sensational!

The Core

St Ives Community Orchard CIC have built an environmentally sustainable eco-centre at the base of the  30 acres of the Community Orchard and Nature Reserve, now named, The CORE.

The building aims to connect people to nature through learning, education and exploration, offering environmental education, skills and nature-based training to individuals, local groups and schools. A space for community events throughout the year, for community meetings and a regular Repair cafe. Connecting people with nature and their community to restore mental health and well-being and reduce isolation and loneliness.

The building will enable St Ives Orchard & Nature Reserve to become financially resilient, thereby securing continued work to serve the local community and protect wildlife on Penbeagle Hill. It will also create new jobs and provide opportunities for local self-employed trainers to share their knowledge and skills.

Car Parking

There is a free little car park at the park and you can often park on the road too. Please do be considerate of residents though.