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Berkshire Apples Sought
We have had a request from a gentleman looking for pictures of and maybe ultimately suppliers of two varieties of apple from Berkshire:
"Guelph" a dessert apple from Newbury
"Frogmore prolific", a cooking apple from Windsor.
Does anybody know if these varieties are still in cultivation?
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Apple – Duke of Devonshire
The Duke of Devonshire apple was raised in 1835 by Wilson, gardener to the Duke of Devonshire at Holker Hall, Cumbria.
Duke of Devonshire apple
Introduced around 1875, the fruits have a firm, fine texture with rather dry flesh and a slightly nutty flavour.
Uses: Desert
Parents: Unknown
Flowers: Early to Mid May
Picking: Early October
Natural Storage: January - March
The Duke of Devonshire apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
Young trees are available from Adam's Apples, in Devon.
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Apple – Cockpit
Originating from Yorkshire, the Cockpit apple was first discovered in 1831.
Cockpit apple
Fruits have coarse flesh with a slight acid and almost astringent flavour.
A famous Yorkshire apple which grows well in Cumbria.
Uses: Culinary
Parents: Unknown
Flowers: Early to Mid May
Picking: Early October
Natural Storage: October - December
The Cockpit apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
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Apple – Golden Spire
The Golden Spire apple was reported to have been discovered in 1850 by Richard Smith of Worcester.
Golden Spire apple
Fruits have a dense, crisp flesh with an acidic, astringent flavour.
Uses: Culinary
Parents: Unknown
Flowers: Late April to Early May
Picking: Early September
Natural Storage: September - October
The Golden Spire apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
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Apple – Carlisle Codlin
The Carlisle Codlin apple is thought to have originated in Carlisle in Cumbria and records show evidence of it's presence before 1830.
No image available
Fruits have a rather soft and slightly coarse textured flesh, juicy and mildly acidic. The skin is very smooth and shiny when ripe.
Cultivation of this apple is probably only of local heritage interest, it does not have a good flavour and its very upright habit, makes picking of the fruit difficult.
Uses: Desert
Parents: Unknown
Flowers: Early May
Picking: Late September
Natural Storage: October - December
The Carlisle Codlin apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
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Word Search: Apple varieties
Apples are being celebrated throughout the UK and elsewhere at this time of year at various Apple Day Events.
Apple Word Search
With this in mind we thought we would create a word search using many old varieties of apples .
See how many you can find hidden in the jumble of letters.
If you are holding an Apple Day event then let us know about it and we can help spread the word.
The files are in PDF form so Adobe Acrobat Reader is required.
The word search
The answers
(Available only if registered)
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Snakes Head Fritillaria
Fritillaria meleagris or Snake's Head Fritillary as it is more commonly known, is a native of Europe, found growing in damp grassland and near rivers.
Purple & white bells of the Snake's Head Fritillary
Apart from it's original English name of Snake's Head fritillary, It has many local name variations such as Simple Fritillary, Checkered Daffodil, Frog-cup, Chess Flower, Guinea-hen Flower and Leper Lily,
The flowers are nodding, dainty, six petaled bells, hang from slender stems about 15 to 30cm in height. They range from white to various shades of purple and bear a unique, chequered patterning which is quite obvious on the purple flowers but more of a feint "water mark" on the white flowers.
Fritillaria meleagris flowers from March to May from a small bulb, about 2 cm in diameter, commonly found growing in grasslands in damp soils and river meadows.
It is the only species of Fritillary native to Britain, but is now quite rare in the wild due to modern farming and land cultivation techniques.
Places to find Fritillaria meleagris in the wild:
The Meadow of Magdalen College, Oxford,
The village of Ducklington, Oxfordshire (which holds a Fritillary Sunday festival)
North Meadow National Nature Reserve, Wiltshire
Meadows in Kungsängen, just outside Uppsala, Sweden (also giving the flower its Swedish name, kungsängslilja).
Bulbs are available commercially and are extremely hardy. Best placed in light shade and under deciduous trees and shrubs in free-draining soil, or naturalised in grass. Bulbs of the Fritilaria meleagris are poisonous.
Where to obtain the bulbs;
Thompson & Morgan - Plant, bulb and seed specialists
Fentongollan - Cornish bulb, plant and vegetable supplier
De Jager - Flower bulb specialists since 1868
The Wild Flower Shop - Specialists in British native flowers
Crocus - Plant and garden supplier
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Apple – Blenheim Orange
The triploid apple, Blenheim Orange was discvoered by Mr Kempster at Woodstock near Blenheim, England around 1740.
Blenheim Orange
Distribution of the apple did not start until 1818 and it received the Banksian Medal in 1822.
Fruits have a creamy white, somewhat course texture with rather dry flesh. It has a rich sweet, nutty, aromatic flavour.
Said to be good with cheese and for making Apple Charlotte.
Uses: Desert
Parents: Unknown
Flowers: Early to Mid May
Picking: Late September
Natural Storage: October - December
The Blenheim Orange apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
Young trees are available from Adam's Apples, in Devon.
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Apple – Edward VII
The first record of the Edward VII apple was in 1902. Introduced by Rowe of Worcester in 1908.
Edward VII
The apple received the RHS Award of Merit in 1903.
Fruits have a firm, rather coarse texture, fairly juicy, with an acid flavour.
Reported to be an excellent cooking apple.
Uses: Culinary
Parents: Female -Blenheim Orange? x Male - Golden Noble?
Flowers: Mid to late May
Picking: Mid October
Natural Storage: December to April
The Edward VII apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
