Traditional orchards are a landscape feature of lower farmland areas within the National Park, particularly within the Vale of Porlock.
Many orchards and remnants of orchards are associated with settlements and farmsteads, which reflect their past significance to the local economy – they are therefore not only important landscape features, but also their cultural interest and contribution to local amenity and biodiversity. Orchards are periodically reviewed and data is recorded on Geographic Information System. The review of orchards checks that the boundary of the orchard is in existence and for a significant amount of the site to have an orchard character.