Hi All
Inherited this in the fernery of our new home. What are the black spots, is it salvageable and any ideas on the type of orchid?

They black dots are fungal most likely in-terms of a cause. This orchid has been neglected for quite some time. It has not been getting the right amount of water. The basket it is in is too large.
The plant has been attacked by insects, maybe scale, mealybugs and others. The black marks are from a secondary attack by a fungus leaving behind the black marks.
I would repot it into a more appropriate pot with fresh media, reduce the light to bright with perhaps an hour or so of morning sun. With proper watering, water it well and dry out a little, should trigger now growth.
As it sits there right now, I have no idea as to what it is exactly. My best guess is that it may be a member of the genus Coelia, a Bifrenaria maybe, one of the less popular members of the Oncidium Alliance? I just can't say with certainty.
But I am certain that it is solvable.

Thanks Bill. I will do as you suggest and let you know of the outcome.

Hey yowie, no problem. Hopefully Australis will see this since he is a fellow orchid grower from your neck of the woods. He may be familiar with it.
Good luck and

Hi Bill

Took the orchid from the container and washed out the roots. Does this photo assist your diagnosis?

Not really no, but you have a load of good roots there. The only dead ones are those couple of large chocolate brown roots running from the lower left corner in the image up and to the right.
Once we see some new bulbs, leaves and maybe a flower or two we can narrow in on a genus.
It is impossible to identify anything out of bloom.

Repotted in coarse mix in clear pot and is in the fernery under 50% shade and will, as you suggest, give it morning sun daily for a while. Fingers crossed. This is all new to me but enthusiastic. Thanks for your help.

Oh hey, anytime, anytime.

Hi Des,

Bill's given you good advice on how to help your plant. The only thing I'd add would be to look for colour blotches or necrotic marks on any new growths as they develop, just in case it's a virus.

Unfortunately I don't know what the genus is at the moment.

Thanks Joshua. Wait and see game now.