| Variety Place of origin | Description | A | B |
| Ampney Red Gloucestershire | A dessert variety from Ampney Crucis where it is well known to older villagers. It hasn’t spread far from its place of origin | E. | M25, MM106 |
| Arlingham Schoolboys Gloucestershire | General purpose variety, the last tree in Arlingham died in the late 1990’s. | E.C. | M25, MM106 |
| Ashmeads Kernel Gloucestershire | An excellent dessert apple. Gloucestershire’s most famous apple started in 1700 but not recognised much outside the county for nearly 300 years after its birth. | E.5. | M25, MM106 |
| Ballast Gloucestershire | Bittersweet cider variety, from Shepperdine | Ci. | M25 |
| Blenheim Orange | An old favourite, good keeper, sweet nutty flavour. | E.C.3. | M25, MM106 |
| Bramley Nottingham | Most popular cooker, 19th Century. | C.3. | M25, MM106 |
| Cambridge Queening Gloucestershire | Most commonly used for cider, but can be eaten fresh when fully ripe. Pale green/yellow with red flush and crimson stripes. Also known as Cambridge Quoining, possible originates from the French word ‘coin’ meaning corner which refers to the fruit’s angular shape. | E.Ci. | Malus Seedling |
| Catshead | An old English variety, the earliest reference to which dates from 1629. The name comes from the unusual shape of the fruit, which in profile resembles a cat’s head. Large, oblong-conical, irregular shaped fruit. Pale greenish yellow skin with russet dots. White, soft, juicy flesh. Cooks to a sharp, firm puree. | C. | MM106, M25 |
| Chaxhill Red Gloucestershire | A general purpose variety but best known for cider. In 1873 it won a First Class Certificate for cider at Gloucester. First raised by Squire Bennett of Chaxhill House, Chaxhill, Westbury-on-Severn. Squire Bennett who owned the Chaxhill Estate was interested in fruit production and his tenants’ farms were well stocked with a broad range of apple and other fruit varieties. He was a friend of William Viner Ellis of nearby Minsterworth Court. William Viner Ellis is much mentioned by R. Hogg in The Fruit Manual (1884). He helped Hogg find a number of rare varieties of apple tree. | Ci | M25 |
| Chivers Delight | An excellent English apple, once grown commercially on a small scale, and worthy of more attention. Chivers Delight is basically a sweet apple, with a family resemblance to Cox’s Orange Pippin, but with some sharpness to the flavour. The flesh is quite dense and crisp. Although not related at all, Chivers Delight is quite similar to Braeburn in size, flavour, and crispness – if you like Braeburn apples you will probably like Chivers Delight. Keep well too! | E. | MM106 |
| Dabinett Somerset | Excellent quality, bittersweet cider apple. 19th century. | Ci.5. | MM106, M25 |
| Devonshire Quarrenden | An early dessert apple with a slight strawberry flavour, was very popular in Victorian times but is much much older. c1676 | E.2. | MM106 |
| Discovery | Excellent early dessert apple, crisp and juicy with a hint of strawberry. Reliable and has good disease resistance. | E.3. | MM106 |
| Duke of Bedford | After DNA testing it is found to be ‘Pethyre’ a cider variety. However it is known as a cooker in Gloucestershire | Ci.C | MM106 |
| Dymock Red Gloucestershire | A very old vintage cider variety from the village of its name. Also useful for dessert and culinary purposes. | Ci. | M25 |
| Eden Gloucestershire | A dessert variety with Cox in its parentage, started in 1948 at Fon’s Orchard between Falfield and Thornbury. | E. | M25, MM106 |
| Elmore Pippin Gloucestershire | Very late dessert apple, presumed to have originated from Elmore village | E. | M25 |
| Flower of the West Gloucestershire | A small rare russet apple. The tree is also fairly small. | E. | MM106 |
| Fons Spring Gloucestershire | Very rare dessert variety. Sister seedling to Eden (see above) | E. | MM106 |
| Gloucestershire Underleaf | A well known and much loved variety throughout Gloucestershire. It can be eaten fresh, cooked or made into cider. | C.E.Ci | MM106 |
| Golden Noble | Large handsome round fruit. Pale green skin ripening to golden yellow. Occasional pink flush. Cream coloured flesh with high vitamin C content. Good sharp flavour needing little added sugar. Ideal for apple pies as it keeps some of its shape when cooked. Keeps well losing some of its sharpness such that it can be used as a dessert apple in the spring. | E.C. | M25, MM106 |
| Green Underleaf Gloucestershire | Grown in Arlingham but also from Oldbury on Severn. According to Pat Turner, in the old days this apple would be ‘wurded’ or ripened in heaps under ‘boltings’ (big thrashed sheaves) of wheat straw. They would turn yellow when ripe and be good for eating. | E.C.Ci | M25 |
| Gypsy Red Gloucestershire | Only known from one farm in Kington near Oldbury on Severn. A distinctive bright red, bitter sharp cider apple. | Ci | Malus Sylvestris |
| Hagloe Crab Gloucestershire | A highly regarded vintage cider variety possibly started as early as 1620 in the hamlet of its name near Awre. Years ago its cider could be `exchanged barrel for barrel for spiritous liquor’. Also a good cooking apple. | Ci | MM106, M25 |
| Harry Masters Jersey | Also known as ‘Port Wine’ well known for it’s full bitter sweet cider | Ci.5. | M25 |
| Hen’s Turd’s Gloucestershire | A cider variety from Rodley. How it earned its disparaging name is a mystery. | Ci. | MM106 |
| Jackets and Waistcoats Gloucestershire | Also known as ‘Jackets and Petticoats’ in its home village of Ashleworth. Found to be the same as ‘Ribston Pippin’ after DNA test. | E. | MM106 |
| Katy | Bright red heavy cropper. Sweet/acid, firm and juicy. Best known as a dessert apple, but is used commercially as a sweet cider apple too. | E.3 | MM106 |
| Kingston Black Somerset | One of the best known vintage cider varieties, medium bittersharp. Somerset 19th century. | Ci.3. | MM106, M25 |
| Lakes Kernel Gloucestershire | A really nice dessert variety from Ashleworth. Thought to have been first grown by Bill Lake of Hartpury, a blacksmith, now deceased. He had a blacksmith’s shop opposite the Royal Exchange public house. Descendants of Mr Lake still live in the neighbourhood of Ashleworth to-day (2000). | E. | MM106, M25 |
| Laxton’s Superb | Sweet and similar to Cox, hardy and reliable. 19th century. | E.4. | MM106 |
| Leathercoat Gloucestershire | First recorded mention in Shakespeare’s Henry IV part 2 when Davy says to Bardolph: There is a dish of Leathercoats for you, the scene is laid in Gloucestershire. | E. | MM106, M25 |
| Longney Russet Gloucestershire | An old general purpose variety from the village of its name. Mentioned in 18th Century literature. Stores very well | E.Ci | MM106, M25 |
| Morgan Sweet | Early sweet cider/dessert apple | E.Ci | M25 |
| Newton Wonder | Excellent late keeping, yellow and red apple, cooks to a juicy mild puree, or a fruity eater after storing, 19th century. | E.C.5. | MM106 |
| Nine of Diamonds Gloucestershire | A cider variety. Curiously named as it has 10 red spots in the flesh and not 9 as may be expected. Found to be the same as ’10 Commandments’ after DNA test | Ci | Malus Seedling |
| Nine Square Gloucestershire | A large angular cooker, ready in September but will keep until December. More commonly known as Warners King. | C. | MM106 |
| Parlour Door Gloucestershire | A general purpose apple from Apperley, but also known as Seven Square at Down Hatherley in the 1950s. Also recorded from China Cross, Corse Lawn. Found to be the same as ‘Tom Putt’ after DNA test. | E.C. | M25 |
| Pigs Snout | A cider variety, thought to have been first grown in Cornwall | Ci | M25 |
| Puckrupp Pippin Gloucestershire | General purpose. Found growing in the Apperley area and nearer Gloucester in the past. | E.C. | M25 |
| Red Windsor | Excellent garden variety, disease resistant and a heavy cropper. Self-fertile | E.2 | MM106 |
| Rheads Reinette Gloucestershire | A really nice dessert apple. Raised from seed by William Rhead (1852-1955) at either Elton Farm, Elton or Peglars Farm, Flaxley. | E. | MM106, M25 |
| Ribston Pippin | A very old classic English apple esteemed by the Victorians. Attractive fruit with a strong Cox like flavour. See ‘Jackets and Waistcoats’ | E.2. | MM106 |
| Rose of Ciren Gloucestershire | A critically rare dessert variety, just 2 known original trees survive. Mr Elwes from Colesbourne Estate recounts that when he took over the estate in 1956 the old gardener, Charlie Neve, identified the tree and said it had come from John Jefferies & Sons, Cirencester. Mr Neve died in 1963 aged just over 80. This seems to be another variety produced by John Jefferies & Son of Siddington. | E. | MM106, M25 |
| Siddington Russet Gloucestershire | The nurseries of John Jefferies and Son, Siddington were established in 1795 by Richard Gregory (died 1837) This dessert variety was first grown in 1923 and appeared in the nurseries catalogue in 1930. Found to be the same as ‘Galloway Pippin’ after DNA test. | E. | Malus Seedling |
| Somerset Redstreak | Popular, bittersweet cider apple. First grown in 1917. | Ci | M25 |
| Spartan | A popular, reliable dessert variety. Medium sized, round-conical fruit. Dark maroon flush over a pale yellow skin. White, crisp, juicy flesh. Sweet but with some acidity. Needs to be left on the tree for as long as possible for the flavour to develop. | E. | MM106, M25 |
| Spout Apple Gloucestershire | A pleasant banana yellow dessert apple | E. | MM106 |
| Tydeman’s Late Orange | Reliable, rich, sweet, aromatic and trouble free. | E.3. | MM106 |
| Welsh Druid Gloucestershire | General purpose variety. Possibly from Bigsweir, as early as 1900. A burr-knot or pitcher. Its branches have patches of adventitious roots which when planted directly into soil will grow satisfactorily. | E.Ci.C | MM106 |
| Wellstead Pippin Gloucestershire | A vigorous growing, healthy dual purpose variety. After DNA testing is found to be ‘Barnacks Beauty’ | E.C. | MM106 |
| Wheelers Russet of Gloucestershire | Very rare dessert apple, that keeps well. Little is known of this variety, but possibly first grown in 1717. | E. | MM106, M25 |
| William Crump | An intensely aromatic apple. A Cox x Worcester Pearmain cross. Will store until February. Worcestershire 1910 | E. | MM106 |
| Worcester Pearmain | A reliable cropper of fairly early fruit (September). Sweet and juicy with a strawberry flavour. | E.3. | MM106 |
| Yarlington Mill Somerset | Well known medium sweet cider apple. First grown around 1900 | Ci. | M25 |
| Yellow Willy Gloucestershire | Small yellow dessert apple, probably from Lydney. Another burrnott (see Welsh Druid) | E. | MM106 |
I also have small numbers of other ‘Gloucestershire’ varieties on Malus Seedling, please call/email if there is a variety you are particularly interested in.
Key ‘A’ (Uses + flowering period if known)
E = Eater (Dessert) C = Cooker (Culinary) Ci = Cider.
1 = Early to 5 = Late
Key ‘B’ (Rootstock availability}
MM106 =semi vigorous
M25 + Malus Seedling = vigorous
Prices:
Maidens = £15.00
Bush = £16.00-£18-00 depending on size
Half Standard = £18.00-£20.00 depending on size
Straightlead = £18.00-£20.00 depending on size