English Apples - Leicestershire
Leicestershire is in the East Midlands; a slightly cooler climate than in the traditional apple- growing counties of the U.K.
A few apples have their origins in or near Leicestershire, and I'm compiling a list below, with remarks about each.
ANNIE ELIZABETH - a very late cooker and dessert apple, raised about 1857 by Samuel Greatorex, Avenue Rd, Knighton, Leicester. Named after his baby daughter (there is an interesting story here, apparently) who died 1866. Introduced by Harrisons. Good stewing apple; hangs on the tree very late - well after New Year if left. Sharp flavour; some resemblances in flavour to Cox; dense texture. Rather dry and inedible until after Xmas. Better than average blossom. Possibly a seedling from a Blenheim.
BARNACK BEAUTY - 2 versions of its origin:
1) Raised by Mr. Charles of Barnack near Stamford, c. 1850.
2)Raised by Mrs. Betty Geeson, a housewife of Barnack who lived to 75.
She sowed it around 1840 but didn't live to see it fruit. (The house she lived
in was in the same road as Mr. Charles).
Introduced by Browns of Stamford, c1870. Included with Leicestershire
apples because part of Stamford is in Leicestershire. Bold, red markings,
strong brisk taste, slight richness and aromatic quality; dense flesh.
Eating apple, also used for cooking. Striking fruit and blossom, bright
orange red flush, red stripes over gold, russet dots. Pick Oct; stores up
to March.
BARNACK ORANGE
- Raised by Mr. W.H. Divers, head gardener at
Belvoir castle, Leics. Deliberate cross : Barnack Beauty x Cox's Orange
Pippin. Similar to Barnack Beaty but sweeter and ripens earlier. Stores
to about Feb.
CROFT LATE SEEDLING#
Found near Croft Quarry, Leics; dessert apple resembling Annie Elizabeth and Crawley Beauty but ripens
very much later and is smaller and harder (see Vitamin C page). Firm on the tree
until late December. Scented; keeps fresh, crunchy texture until
March; skin becomes greasy and yellowish when ripe. See picture.
CROFT SHARP#
Found on outskirts of Croft, Leics; bittersharp cider apple
closely resembling FAIR MAID OF TAUNTON; inedible, high tannin but on
its own makes good cider; scented. Ripe late Sept to early Oct; keeps
until about end-Dec though later in some years. See picture.
DUMELOW'S SEEDLING - An apple raised at Shackerstone, near Ashby, by the farmer Richard Dumeller in the late 1700s. Probably from Norfolk Greening pip. Also known as Normanton Wonder. A large, fairly flat conical apple, pale green and smooth skinned, with a peculiar scent (which one notices if an apple is kept in a plastic bag for an hour or two). A good apple for baking; not really suitable as dessert apple because of its acidity, which it retains until the spring - can keep until April. An important Victorian culinary apple, and one of the main Victorian varieties in gardens and commercially. There are still many trees remaining in the West Midlands but it's long since been overtaken by Bramley.
FOXTON'S FAVOURITE - a small cooking apple, a few trees of which are found in the Leicestershire village of Foxton, of lock fame. The tree propogates easily from cuttings; quite unusual for an apple.
LORD BURGHLEY - Seedling found in the grounds of Burghley Park, near Stamford. First fruited 1834. Rescued from waste ground by head gardener, Mr. Matheson. RHS 1865; introduced by nurseryman House of Peterborough. Dark red flushed apple, brisk, aromatic, sweet, juicy, firm flesh. Keeps late (up to Apr or sometimes later).
MARTIN'S CUSTARD #
- an old apple which was thought to be extinct. Specimen found by Sally
Cunningham in Cotesbach, Leicestershire, who has kindly allowed me
to photograph a few apples and who has supplied the following comments:
......'The tree is in the oldest part of the orchard at (location witheld)
and probably
dates from around 1850. Tree is big (about 60ft), vigorous and
for its
age quite healthy, with lots of new growth suitable for grafting....I
was asked to give a possible ID as they thought it might be Mere de
Menage, but on reading Hogg's Fruit Manual - his description - Martin's
Custard seems a better fit.
"Fruit medium sized, two inches and three quarters wide and two and a
half high: roundish, ribbed on the sides, and with ridges round the
crown which extend into the basin of the eye. Skin greenish yellow,
mottled with red on the shaded side, and considerably streaked with dark
crimson and with a violet bloom on the side next the sun. Eye, small,
quite closed, set in a narrow puckered basin. Stalk, very short,
sometimes a mere fleshy knob, and sometimes woody with a fleshy swelling
on one side. Flesh, yellowish, firm, crisp, juicy and briskly acid.
An excellent culinary apple: in use from October to Christmas.
This apple is much grown in the orchards conterminous with
Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, and I am indebted for a knowledge
of it to my good friend the Rev M J Berkley, of Sibbertoft, near Market
Harborough."
The only thing I'd quarrel with is the size - it's a bit
bigger, but
this has been a damp season so it's probably within tolerance'.
..........Thumbnail pictures below; click on them for a better view.
Thanks Sally......ND.
..........................
PEASGOOD NONSUCH - an enormous, attractive apple of moderate flavour. Raised by Mrs. Peasgood, 1850s, Grantham; later taken by her to Stamford when she moved. Exhibited by Mrs. P. later. Good for cooking; goes to puree. Ok fresh. Good decorative appeal in the garden - the apples are very striking; green turning to orange red flush then becoming yellow; some patches of russet. Stores up to Dec but is well past its best by then. Pick Sept.
PRINCE CHARLES - Dessert, September-October. Lord Lambourne x Cox's Orange Pippin. Raised between 1940 and 1945 at Victoria Nurseries, Burbage, Leicestershire, by Herbert Robinson. Fruits have creamy white flesh with a sweet, slightly subacid, slightly aromatic flavour. (seen at Brogdale apple exhibition, Oct 2004)
QUEEN CAROLINE - (syn. Spencer's Favourite) - raised and distributed by Mr. T. Brown, nurseryman of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. He had land in Measham where his seedlings were raised, c. 1820. Large apple, cooker, brisk, well flavoured. Named after Geo. IV's wife. Keeps till Xmas.
St. AILRED - from Mount St. Bernard Abbey, Coalville, c.1942. James Grieve x Ellison's Orange. Tastes a bit like James Grieve, resembles Ellison's Orange. Quite sweet, juicy, soft; cream flesh but taste can be a bit medicinal. Skin tougher than James Grieve. Pick and eat in Sept; doesn't really keep.
Br. John-Paul Sanderson of Mt. St. Bernard Abbey adds the following:
....Just to add a little to your information on the St. Ailred apple: the monk who developed the variety was Fr. Ailred McPike, and he named it after St. Ailred, his patron saint, and the 12th century Abbot of Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire. For a long time we didn't have a St. Ailred tree in our orchard, that is until a couple of years ago when a group of apple enthusiasts, who look after a village community orchard, came on a trip to see our orchards, and brought us a St. Ailred tree as a gift.
WYGGESTON PIPPIN#
Found in mid 90s in grounds of Wyggeston College,
Leicester (ex-Wyggeston Boys); dual purpose, sweet
in good years. Ripe late July; round-conical but slightly
pointed at eye; sour and metallic in poor years (similar
to Allington). Useful for adding to cider. See picture.
WYKEN PIPPIN - a small, flat conical yellow-green
apple, raised in the early 1700s. Lord Craven brought the seeds of the apple back
from a trip to Europe and planted them in the Wyken area of Coventry.
There's a nearby pub called the Wyken Pippin. The apple is densely flavoured fruit with (for a yellow apple)
a surprisingly crisp texture. The flavour is rather rich and
aromatic. I pick mine in October and they store in good condition
for about six weeks, though they are best straight off the tree.
More information about this apple is on
http://www.wyken.com/html/the_apple.html/
- Many thanks to Sally Cunningham who supplied the majority of the information above, and to Sue Hancock who corrected my "Wyken Pippin" entry.
Nigel Deacon, Diversity website
....please email us if you know of other Leicestershire apples
# denotes not in National Fruit Collection
