Old ‘Lost’ Apple Varieties - Rediscovered

A large part of our work is devoted to researching, hunting down and re-introducing old fruit varieties that have disappeared from the ‘radar’. In all too many cases, a valued old variety has been written about, perhaps a century or more ago, but has not been heard of since. They are still growing around the country but have lost their names. Providing, as they do, such an important link with local history, forgotten rules of husbandry and food tradition, it is vital to re-discover as any old varieties as possible, with their names intact, and mindful of the limited window of opportunity - as the pace of land development gathers and the memories of the older generation fade and die out.

Sometimes we receive a report of an old named tree, from owners or enthusiasts who know of our work. Sometimes it comes down to hard research, ploughing through listings in collections, often overseas, and following through the historic literature to bring the essence of these varieties into waking awareness, against the day that a report of an old tree will trigger a mental connection. Often these rediscoveries are the result of chance, but ‘chance’ augmented and assisted by following any insignificant lead and seeing where the trail ends.

These old varieties can still be found, but extreme care must be exercised in putting an old name to an old tree. There is a growing tendency for old unknown trees around the land to be given a positive identification as a lost variety, based often on the thinnest of written historical descriptions, and this can only add to confusion. The number of distinct varieties, still growing as old unnamed trees across the Isles, far exceeds the number of properly named trees in collections or reliably known in memory. The chances of identifying an old tree are not great, unless it grew in the type of orchard where the planting would have followed the vogue and the nursery catalogues of the day. Often they didn’t, prefering instead to re-graft a valued local variety, when its parent was nearing the end . When the scale of the task is fully appreciated the approach will change for the better. Those who spend time – and over years – around old trees and old orchards will know that they are encountering a remarkable and immense diversity.

The more old varieties that can be re-discovered with a name intact the better the chances, in the long run, of naming a part of this national stock of unknown trees. They are still there to be found. Those who have our catalogue have already been introduced to many of these re-discoveries. The purpose of this addition to our website is to introduce a few more, to update the catalogue by adding a few observations on the newer entries and to let our readers know of several ‘lost’ domestic varieties that we have now been brought back to these shores, grafted and are now growing here for evaluation, hoping they will prove to be correctly named.

We start with a little local difficulty!

Two neighbours were each told upon buying their properties, now many years ago, that one of the trees in their garden was called Beckley Red. Beckley is a village two mile away and well known the people of Oxford, with its huge radio mast. Beckley Red does not appear to be known there.

The problem is that each of these neighbours has a very different apple. One is a dark red, shiny oval apple, mid season and of uncertain use, the only fruit seen so far appearing not to be dessert and not of particular rich culinary use, though the fruit may have been atypical. It may be a cider apple. The other is a round, bright red and a very good dessert apple, with very striking red flesh. Since there is now no evidence to say which is the correctly named one, we will introduce both as Beckley Red with the names of the two owners to distinguish them. Both are stunning in appearance.

Beckley Red (Bew)

The brief 20th century descriptions tell us that it is a large cooking apple, similar to Warner's King, but sometimes with a number of wide, scarlet stripes and a flush of scarlet. The body is slightly ribbed and the base is usually flat. It is ripe in September.

The samples of fruit sent by Mr and Mrs McPhee match the description perfectly, but the provenance is even better. Some time after they moved into their property in West Coker, Somerset, having acquired an old and significantly leaning apple tree, an old local chap in his nineties asked them casually if they still had their ‘Coker Seedling’, adding that it was probably the last one still known. The tree was confirmed as the old leaning one.

It is mid season, best in September and keeping only to the end of October. It is a very good apple, often sweet enough in October to be considered an eater. As a cooker it has yielding flesh, slightly granular, sweet as well as tangy and quite fragrant. It softens completely but keeps all its shape and no sugar is needed though some might prefer to add it. The flavour is very rich.

The first new trees were grafted here in 2007.

Coker Seedling

Welford Park Nonsuch (Powell)

In 2007, Suyin and Huw Powell brought an apple to our attention, calling it Welford Park Nonsuch. Knowing of its importance and having it on our list of missing apples, gleaned from our database of old varieties, compared with collections and reports of existence, we were keen to explore it further. Suyin had given some apples to a friend Cathy Widdicombe and her husband, Rob, who is an environmental consultant, had consulted a copy of the Herefordshire Pomona. He believed it might well be Welford Park Nonsuch from the plate and description. We also received some fruit from Suyin and, though inclined to scepticism, were compelled to the same conclusion. The description by Hogg in the Herefordshire Pomona and in his Fruit Manual (1884) match almost perfectly but particularly in respect of the texture of the flesh.

The tree and its fruit were first brought to Suyin and Huw Powell by Huw’s mother, a friend of the owner near Lugwardine in Herefordshire. The tree is 40-50ft tall and clearly of some considerable age, one of few survivors of an old farm orchard, where the owners house was subsequently built.

It is a dual purpose apple, though perhaps more culinary, with an excellent aromatic flavour and quite an attractive appearance. The flesh is very tender and fine. The first new trees have been grafted in 2008.

Without any documentary or verbal evidence of name, we cannot be certain of identification, though we are, perhaps, confident. If there are any other reports of Welford Park Nonsuch, please let us know, so we can compare and contrast. Meanwhile we hope to reintroduce this excellent apple as such, with the qualifying name of the discoverers, attached.

Buckinghamshire Sheep’s Nose
When Pauline and Julian Webster of Chesham Bois bought their house many years ago, the previous owner passed on the information that all the fruit trees were local Buckinghamshire varieties, the 1930s house having been built within an old orchard. The names were lost except one - Sheep's Nose.

There are several different apples of the same name around the country but this one is different and would indeed appear to be a local apple. The fruit in 2007 was difficult to assess but it would appear to be a cider apple. It may have culinary uses but is a little small for a traditional cooker. Photo right.

We met them when they brought some apples to the Prestwood Apple Day and we have now grafted the next generation, along with two other very interesting unnamed trees from their garden

John Gray
When our old friends Carrie Fletcher and Richard Ames moved to Somerset to leave the grind behind and sample the rural life they acquired some old fruit trees, one of which was named as John Gray by a local. It is not a name that has ever been recorded in the old literature.

The fruit in 2007 was not seen in its proper season and was not fully formed so we have yet to assess its qualities but the name suggests it is a forgotten Somerset variety

By way of updating the catalogue, in respect of new re-introductions by us of old lost varieties rediscovered overseas, we have the following observations to report.

We have been impressed by the reliability of the namings among the various apples we have found and observed so far. (We have also noticed that the photos, often provided by the donor sources, show that the same apple grown in Australia or America can look quite different when grown here. It gives a warning against reliance on descriptions from the historical works of other countries).

Bédan-des-Parts has still not fruited here, but the provenance suggests it will be true to name. Benwell's Large did make an attempt at fruit in 2007, as it did in 2006, and does seem to be large and in accord with the rudimenary historical description. We cannot report its full qualities, as yet. Black Prince has been in our catalogue for a few years now, but there are two snippets of information to add. The first is a report of a Black Prince, known in Scotland, that is reputed to be of Scandinavian origin. We do not yet know whether it is the same as ours. The second is the discovery of a Black Prince having been exhibited by Cranston Nurseries of Hereford at the Apple Congress of 1883, as a cider apple. As such it was ignored by the National Apple Register and has not been mentioned since 1883. It is not possible to say whether ours is this old cider apple, though ours cannot be described as a first class dessert apple, so it may be the same as the old cider variety.

Brown's Pippin fruited here for the first time in 2007, having been brought back by us from Tasmania and we think it is true to the the brief historical description. It is certainly a very rich, flavour packed apple and though the fruit might have been undersized on a young tree it shows very great promise. See photo opposite.

Capper's Pearmain, brought back in 2005, has still not fruited here. We hope to report some activity in 2008.

Knotted Kernel, Rambour Franc, Red Cluster, Royal Jersey, Royal Wilding, Rymer, Summer Pearmain, and Teign Harvey have yet to fruit

Padley's Pippin fruited in 2007 and is really quite a remarkable little apple. The crop of tiny apples covered the stems like a rash, more the size of grapes than apples. With a larger tree and perhaps some thinning we might expect larger apples in future, but the old accounts of it suggest the fruit is never more than small to medium sized. It is clearly true to name. Despite the miniature size, the flavour was quite intense, rich and sweet. In a class of its own!

Sugar Loaf Pippin
Both the photos right and below right are Sugar Loaf Pippin, both from the same scionwood, both the same age, fruiting in 2007 within 20 yards. The red ones were from a tree growing in our soil, the green ones growing in compost in large pots. The historical descriptions have them as green/yellow, but our soil produces some atypical colouring. We point it out to help with identification.

We brought back two versions - from Australia and Belgium - with no association between the two and they fruited identically, so we can be confident that they are truly the lost Sugar Loaf Pippin. All features are in accord with the old descriptions, though the stalk is a little curious, sometimes with a dramatic fleshy protuberance and sometimes entirely without.

It is a very good apple but is excellent if caught just right, with sweet, aromatic and melting flesh.

Behind the scenes, we have patiently researched and discovered the following lost varieties, overseas, and have brought back wood and grafted new trees. They are now back in the country and growing at Bernwode. We will assess their authenticity when they fruit and, if true to historical description, will pass them back into cultivation in the nation's gardens and orchards.

Alabaster, Ananas Rouge, Beauty Of The World, Bedan, Belle Agathe, Borsdorfer and Edelborsdorfer, Cherry Pearmain, Coe’s Golden Drop, Cole’s Quince, Early Pippin, Egyptian, English Russet, French Pippin, French Reinette, Golden Pearmain, Green Pearmain, Green Pippin, Haut-Bonté, Isle of Wight Pippin, Monmouth Pippin, Nutmeg, Orange, Pamphelios (Pamphelia’s) Reinette, Parmentier, Peach, Pineapple, Pomme De Neige, Pound Royal (Pound Roy), Prussian (Colvert), Rainbow, Raspberry, Red Russet, Red Siberian, Red Winter Pearmain, Reinette D’Angleterre, Reinette Des Carmes, Reinette Douce, Reinette Franche, Robin, Rock, Royale D’Angleterre, Royal Russet, Sary (Sarry) Sinap, Scarlet Pippin, Skinner’s Seedling, Spice Apple, Summer Orange, Summer Queen, Sweet Pippin, Sweet William, White Pippin, Woodstock Pippin, Yellow Waxen

We also now have the elusive, long lost, White Spanish Reinette and Federal Pearmain located and hope to graft new trees this year.