"APPLES''  

THE LIST BELOW WILL BE UPDATED LATER IN THE SUMMER

WITH VARIETIES THAT WILL BE READY FOR SALE FROM LATE NOVEMBER 2015

Variety Place of origin  Descriptions A B
Arlingham Schoolboys Gloucestershire General purpose variety, the last tree in Arlingham died in the late 1990's. E.C. M25
Ashmeads Kernal 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 Apple Gloucestershire A very rare bittersweet cider apple, that can be found on just a few farms in the county. Ci MM106
Beauty Of Bath A very early sweet and juicy apple when fully ripe, eat straight from the tree. Somerset 1864. E.2. M25, MM106
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
Brown French Gloucestershire A bitter sweet cider from the May Hill area. Reported to shake well, all the fruit falling together from the tree. David Barnes’s father came to Hill Farm in 1931. He has continued his father’s interest in fruit varieties and a wide range of fruit trees is maintained on the farm.  Mr Barnes is a skilled grafter and incidentally one of the last traditional tent peg makers, a craft with certain similarities to grafting. Ci MM106
Bunch Gloucestershire A very rare cider apple from Shepperdine, also found in Cowhill. Ci  
Cambridge Queening Gloucestershire Cider but may be eaten after keeping. Ci. E.  
Catshead One of the earliest English apples from the early 1600's. The flesh is juicy with some acidity, but needs little sugar when cooked. It cooks down to a puree. C. M25, MM106
Charles Ross Raised by Charles Ross at Welford Park Gardens, Newbury, Berkshire. It was first exhibited in 1890 as Thomas Andrew Knight but renamed Charles Ross at the request of his employer, Captain Carstairs in 1899. Received an Award of Merit and a First Class Certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1899. Fruits are rather coarse-textured, juicy and sweet with a moderate flavour.
Easy to grow fruit has an orange red flush. A sweet flavoured eater that also bakes well. Scab resistant. Valued garden apple. Berks 1890		 E.C.3 M25, MM106
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
Dabinett Somerset Excellent quality, bittersweet cider apple. 19th century. Ci.5. 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, M25
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 Gloucestershire

Only known record as per R.Hogg 'The Fruit Manual' 1884 until an apple of the same name was discovered at Churngate Farm, Kington, Oldbury-on-Severn.

 C. M25, MM106
Edward VII Believed to have been raised from a Blenheim Orange x Golden Noble. First recorded 1902. Received RHS Award of Merit in 1903. Introduced by Rowe, Barbourne Nurseries, Worcester, in 1908. Awarded 1st Prize for best new culinary variety in 1909. Only grown commercially on a very small scale but a popular garden variety. Medium to large sized fruit. Flat-round to round shape, slightly ribbed and puckered. Bright green becoming pale yellow. Smooth dry skin. Cream flesh, firm and fairly juicy. Cooks to a well-flavoured , translucent puree. Continues to develop a sweeter taste and then makes a brisk eating apple. A tree of moderate vigour, upright, hardy. Good cropper. Scab resistant. Attractive pink blossom. Late flowering makes it suitable for locations prone to spring frosts. C.E.5. M25
Ellison's Orange Raised from Cox's Orange Pippin x Calville Blanc in the last years of 19th century by the Rev C C Ellison of Bracebridge, Lincolnshire, UK and his brother-in-law's gardener Mr Wipf. First recorded in 1904. Pennell & Son of Lincoln bought grafts of the tree and introduced the variety in 1911. Received an Award of Merit in 1911 and a First Class Certificate in 1917 from the RHS. Planted commercially in the UK in the 1920-30's. No longer grown commercially but remains a popular garden variety particularly as a substitute for Cox.
Medium, round-conical fruit. Brownish red flush and stripes over a greenish yellow skin. Small russet patches. Creamy white flesh. Crisp and juicy. Intense aromatic flavour similar to Cox. The aniseed flavour to which the literature often refers is not always very noticeable and certainly not unpleasant. At its best Ellison's Orange can surpass Cox in flavour.		 E.4.  
Gloucestershire Underleaf A well known and much loved variety throughout Gloucestershire where people still speak with affection for this apple which they could eat, cook and make into cider.  There are a number of sub varieties of ‘Underleaf’ which may mean it is an older type than indicated above.  It is probably the best-known general-purpose variety in Gloucestershire.  Hogg mentions the ‘Hereford Underleaf’ in his Herefordshire based surveys, but it doesn’t seem to have been as important a variety there as the ‘Gloucestershire Underleaf’ in its home county.  Perhaps the ‘Underleaf’ spread from Gloucestershire into Herefordshire.  I had assumed that the name ‘Underleaf’ indicated that the fruit grew under the leaf but Sidney Hewlett of Rodley assured me that the name arose for the reverse reason, that is the leaf grows under the fruit.  Inspection of trees in full fruit leaves me undecided as to the true reason. E.C.Ci  
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  
Grenadier English variety of unknown origin. It was first recorded in 1862 and was exhibited in 1863 by the nurseryman Charles Turner of Slough. Awarded a First Class Certificate by the RHS in 1883. It was promoted by the nurseryman George Bunyard of Maidstone and became established as the most widely grown early cooking apple in the UK. Large, round-conical fruit. Ribbed and often irregular in shape. Pale green skin ripening to pale yellow. White flesh cooking to a sharp, pale cream puree. A good early cooking variety. Moderately vigorous tree. Heavy cropping. Partially self-fertile and a good pollinator. Disease resistant C.3. MM106
Gypsy Red Gloucestershire Only known from one farm in Kington near Oldbury on Severn. A distinctive bright red, bitter sharp cider apple. Ci M25
Harry Masters Jersey Also known as 'Port Wine' well known for it's full bitter sweet cider Ci.5. MM106
Herefordshire Redstreak A very old classic variety that very nearly died out, but has now been saved. It produces a slightly red coloured cider Ci.3. M25
Hunts Duke Of Gloucester An excellent little dessert apple. Said to have been grown from a seed of the old Nonpareil which is now lost. E. MM106
Jackets and Waistcoats Gloucestershire White crisp, sweet and mellow. This cultivar is noted for its banana flavour. Also known as 'Jackets and Petticoats' in it's home village of Ashleworth. E.  
Kidd's Orange Red A good Cox alternative, sweet, crisp and aromatic with a balance of sugar and acidity. E.3. MM106, M25
King Apple Gloucestershire Best known for cider, this apple grow in Bollow near Westbury on Severn. This appears to be different from other ‘King apples’ mentioned in literature. Warner’s King and Northern Spy both have the synonym of ‘King apple’ but the apple described here is neither of these nor is it ‘King of the Pippins’. E.C.Ci  
Kingston Black Somerset One of the best known vintage cider varieties, medium bittersharp. Somerset 19th century. Ci.3. M25, MM106
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
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
Lemon Pippin Of Gloucester   E MM106, M25
Lodgemore Nonpareil Gloucestershire Raised by Mr Cook of Lodgemore, Stroud and introduced by Mr Clissold, a nurseryman who subsequently rented the garden where it had been started.  He propagated and sold it under the name of ‘Clissold’s Seedling’ E. MM106, M25
Longstalk Gloucestershire This variety is hard to shake off the tree because the fruits just flop up and down on their long stems. Locally well known in the Minsterworth and Longney area. Found growing at Waterend Farm, Longney, Farley’s End, Elmore as well as at Bollow Ci MM106
       
Lord Lambourne
Raised from James Grieve x Worcester Pearmain by Laxton Bros, Bedford, UK 1907. Named after the President of the RHS. Introduced in 1923. Received the RHS Award of Merit in 1923. Formerly grown commercially on a small scale in the UK. Popular garden variety.
Medium sized, flat-round fruit. Bright red flush and stripes over a greenish yellow skin. Creamy white, crisp, juicy flesh. Sweet but with balancing acidity. Keeps fairly well.
Fairly compact tree. Partial tip bearer. Regular good cropper producing evenly sized fruit.
 E.2 M25, MM106
Margaret Also known as Red Joaneting. First grown in 1665, an early dessert apple with a sharp refreshing flavour. E. M25
Molly Kernel Gloucestershire A very rare dessert apple from, Kington/Oldbury area but also found in Halmore E.  
Morgan Sweet A well known early sweet cider apple, that can also be eaten/cooked. Somerset c1700 E.C.Ci  
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 The flesh is tinged red especially 2-3mm under skin.  This variety is named after the nine red spots in the flesh to be seen in horizontal section.  Ten red spots were also found to occur.  This variety is very similar to the ‘Ten Commandments’ currently claimed as a Herefordshire variety.  A difference is that the core of the ‘Nine of Diamonds’ is abaxile resulting in the coalescing of two of the 10 red spots in the flesh.  More comparative work of the two varieties needs to be carried out to describe the differences in greater detail E.Ci  
Northland Seedling Gloucestershire Raised at Northland Cottage, Tetbury by A. P. Kitcat. A Mrs Kitcat of Tetbury is recorded as having bought a donkey from the Gloucestershire pedlar Robert Hicks - ‘Johnnie in the Morning’ who frequented the Tetbury area around 1900.  Mrs Kitcat recalled: ‘Besides donkeys he sold rock-salt and silver sand, and kept black humbugs in a little box at the side of the cart to give to the children.  He lived in his cart, and was always around Shipton Moyne and Westonbirt.  He must have been born in 1820 or earlier’.  Curiously a Miss A. P. Kitcat (same initials as the founder of this variety) of Chalford Hill died aged about 60 in about 2000 E.  
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. E.C. MM106
Pear Box Gloucestershire The only known record of the sweet cider variety, is on a farm in Kington near Oldbury on Severn. The most inscrutable name of any Gloucestershire apple. Perhaps ‘pear’ could have been ‘pere’ but that doesn’t really help. It has been suggested that at some stage the fruit had been stored in old wooden Pears Soap boxes and the name stuck. Ci  
Red Styre Gloucestershire

A bittersharp variety sent in to Long Ashton by H. Knight of Huntley, H. J. Phelps of Tibberton and W. E. King of Berkeley. This variety was on the planting list of H. P. Bulmer and Co of Hereford in the 1930s. They maintain records of these plantings back to 1927. Through their records the author traced this variety to a planting carried out on 23rd and 27th March 1932 at Mr E. Selman’s ‘Llwynon’ at Glasbury-on-Wye. There the scent went cold as nobody had heard of Mr Selman or Lwynon. It was a number of years before I met Sheila Leitch co-ordinator of the Marcher Apple Network who happens to live in Glasbury. Within 12 hours she had traced Llwynon which had become anglicised to ‘Ashgrove’ and confirmed that the trees were still growing there.  With the aid of Bulmer’s planting plan, inscribed in beautiful copper-plate writing, Mrs Leitch was able to pinpoint the ‘Red Styre’ along with ‘Upright Styre’ trees.  She has since kindly sent me fruit samples for description and graftwood material for propagation. See also under ‘Upright Styre’. Hogg lists the ‘Red Styre’ as a Hereford variety. However he also makes the same comment for the ‘Forest Styre’ long recognised as a Gloucestershire variety. It is included here primarily on the evidence of its name and it is in any case convenient for conservation purposes to include it in the Gloucestershire Apple Collection ensuring the survival of this critically endangered variety.

 E.Ci 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
Ribston Pippin A very old classic English apple esteemed by the Victorians. Attractive fruit with a strong Cox like flavour. E.2. M25, MM106
Scotch Bridget First grown in Scotland in 1851. A reliable cooker that can be eaten fresh when stored. E.C.3. M25
Somerset Redstreak A traditional bittersweet cider apple, first grown in 1917. Makes a high quality cider. Ci.5. M25
Spartan Disease resistant and reliable, dark red fruit with crisp white flesh. A very popular variety for the garden. E.3.  
Sunset This apple was raised from a Cox's Orange Pippin seedling by G C Addy, Igtham, Kent c 1918. It was named and introduced in 1933. Received the RHS Award of Merit in 1960. Very similar to Cox but much more disease resistant. It has become a very popular garden substitute for Cox E.3. MM106
Sweet Alford A late bittersweet variety maturing in early November. Originated in Devon making a good quality cider Ci.  
Taynton Codlin Gloucestershire General purpose. Used in the preparation of Christmas mincemeat as it didn’t lose its moisture during storage. Started as a seedling at Griffins Farm, Tibberton, reputedly growing out of a cow pat - hence its synonym 'Cow Apple' which was possibly its first name.   E.C. MM106
Wellstead Pippin Gloucestershire A late dessert apple from South Gloucestershire. Rather sharp until December when it is in season until March. Already growing at Wellstead Farm near Yate, in 1939 when it was a mature tree of 25-30 ft tall. As an unidentified variety it was named at this time by Levi Isaac. E.  
Wick White Styre Gloucestershire This variety is commonly known as the ‘White Styre’ in its home range. To avoid confusion with the true ‘White Styre’ which is now lost, it was renamed by Ray Williams after a field trip to Wick Court where there are a number of trees of this variety. Ci M25
Worcester Pearmain A reliable cropper of fairly early fruit (September). Sweet and juicy with a strawberry flavour. E.3. MM106

Crab Apple 'Pink Glow'      Attractive white flowers. Bright pink fruits, excellent for crab apple jelly making. Half Standards = £18

 

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 = 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          

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