In urban areas, small spaces can have a big impact for both people and wildlife. This is particularly true for Roman Farm, where a new orchard has provided a focal point for several organisations to connect. 

Located on the outskirts of Guildford, Roman Farm is a small site containing relatively species-poor grassland, mixed vegetation such as bramble and dogwood, and a scattering of mature trees.

However, the potential of the site was not lost on founders of Community Orchard Project South East (COPSE), Claire and Gareth Matthes. Historic maps identify that the site used to support a small orchard, with mature damsons and greengages dotted around the site supporting this claim. With this in mind, Claire and Gareth were determined to reunite the site with its heritage and here the Roman Farm collaboration was born.

Working together, COPSE and Surrey Wildlife Trust have facilitated a range of nature recovery activities within the community space. To help bolster the number of fruit trees, six additional orchard trees were planted in December 2025, lining the main pathway through the site. These were planted by local volunteers from Surrey University’s Accommodation Team. As well as planting the trees and erecting the protective cages, volunteers also learnt about heritage varieties of stone fruits. 

The next task was to remove some of the suckers from a mature damson tree, which had started to encroach on the meadow area, reducing light for both the existing tree and surrounding ground flora. This was a relatively big job and therefore, required some additional community input. Working with ‘The Hive’, Park Barn’s local Community Centre, we were able to connect with the local school, Kings College. During a January morning, six students got stuck in and helped us thin out the suckers, using a variety of tools such as bow saws and loppers. Many of the students lived locally and had never visited Roman Farm before, helping them forge a connection with greenspaces in their local area. 

COPSE and SWT also ran a collaborative Saturday morning volunteer session, continuing the great work of the King’s College students. During this session, we met Lisa, Farzad, Gianni and Wei Min from Youth Empowerment Stoughton.  Whilst cutting down scrub, we found out more about their activities focused on mentoring young people to develop a sound moral compass, hone their powers of expression and to offer service to their communities. 

This led to a conversation about how nature can provide opportunities for both enjoyment and to serve one’s community. This was experienced first-hand when Surrey Wildlife Trust were able to provide a session for the group, helping them to explore nature within Stoughton Recreation Ground where the group is based. Activities such as birdwatching and sweep netting allowed the young people to connect with their local greenspace and appreciate the wildlife on their doorstep. 

Located just a short distance away from Roman Farm, the group were also able to appreciate a summer visit to the site, where they helped COPSE with watering and mulching of the newly planted fruit trees. They were also able to enjoy the fruits of their labour (literally!), picking and enjoying fruit growing in the vicinity. Caring for the trees, allowed the young people to give back to their community whilst also enjoying the wellbeing benefits of spending time in nature. The group hope to return to Roman Farm periodically, in order to care for the young trees.

Looking ahead we hope to build on the Roman Farm collaboration, providing further opportunities for outdoor learning and community volunteering, as well as a refuge for nature in a relatively urban area of Surrey. Roman Farm highlights how even small spaces can have lasting impacts when the community comes together