Walk status: Off-lead
So many gems are driven past daily, and you never stop for a nosey. Sheppards Reserve just happened to be one of those for me, and one day we finally stopped and discovered this delightful community orchard.
There are opportunities to enter this reserve from a few different spots. There are two walkway access points on Budleigh Street, and the main entrance is on Brois Street. With parking a bit difficult on Brois Street, I parked up at 21 Budleigh Street and walked to the end of the cul-de-sac to enter here and create a loop. You could alternatively park at the end of the cul-de-sac.
At the end of a the cul-de-sac is a driveway sized entrance that heads downhill (no car access here). It opens up to another driveway which is the access from Brois Street. There isn't access to the reserve without heading onto the main road and accessing from there, so keep your dog on lead to this point. Once you've entered the main entrance there is a wide grassy path with fruit trees either side. I'm hopeless with being able to identify fruit in their infancy, but im pretty sure there are apples, plums and pears at least on offer just to name a few. They were just starting to form when we visited for this blog post, but if you time it right, you could pick a few yummy things to take home. Just remember, its a community garden so be mindful of how much you take, its there for everyone.
At the end of the grassy path is a short bush walk. When you reach the stairs at the end on the left, these take you back up to Budleigh and where you initially parked. However if you want to make the walk a little longer and not worried about doing the same walk twice, at the top of the stairs head straight ahead. This takes you along the top of the bush on a slightly dodgy leaf covered walkway, that then requires you to push through some foliage to head back down the grassy hill to the entrance of the bush track. There you can head back along the bush track again and at the top of the stairs, this time head right up the stairs to join back to Budleigh.
Overall this reserve is pretty small, but its a lovely walk especially on a summer evening to enjoy wandering amongst the trees and seeing what fruit is blossoming. George still enjoys his time here and thats the main thing!
Note: Dogs are allowed off-lead here, but be mindful of others using the space and put them on a lead when necessary.
Location: Main entrance located at approx 39 Brois Street
Plenty of parking on Budleigh Street, either at entrance near number 21 or at the end of the cul-de-sac.
Things to know:
There are no toilets here
Fruit is available for picking, just know your limits to make it fair for everyone
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