Old Varieties

Celebrating and remembering old fruit and vegetable varieties

You are here: Home / Archives for Natural Storage

Natural Storage

Apple – Edward VII

The first record of the Edward VII apple was in 1902.  Introduced by Rowe of Worcester in 1908.

Edward VII
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.

Apple – Ellison’s Orange

The Ellison’s Orange apple  was raised by the Reverend. C.C. Ellison at Bracebridge and Mr. Wipf, gardener at Hartsholme Hall in Lincolnshire, England.

Ellison's Orange
Ellison's Orange

First records of the Ellison’s Orange date back to 1904, being introduced by Pennells Nurseries, Lincolnshire in 1911.

The RHS gave it an Award of Merit in 1911 and a First Class Certificate in 1917.

Fruits have soft juicy flesh with a striped red skin.  It is noted to have a rich, strong aniseed flavour when ripe.



Uses: Desert
Parents: Female – Cox’s Orange Pippin x Male – Calville Blanc
Flowers: Mid to late May
Picking: Mid September
Natural Storage: September to October

The Ellison’s orange apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
Young trees available from Adams Apples




Apple – Lancashire Pippin

The Lancashire Pippin was received by the national fruit trials in 1950, from Westmorland in Northern England.

Lancashire Pippin
Lancashire Pippin

Fruits have soft, slightly course flesh with a subacid flavour. Reportedly, this flavour becomes very bland when cooked.

Uses: Culinary
Parents: Unknown
Flowers: Mid to late May
Picking: Mid September
Natural Storage: October

The Lancashire Pippin apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.



Apple – Ribston Pippin

The Ribston Pippin was raised at Ribston Hall in Yorkshire, England, from seed brought from Rouen in France.  It is thought to have been planted around 1707, receiving it’s first RHS Award of Merit in 1962.

Ribston Pippin
Ribston Pippin

Fruits have a red/yellow flush and the flesh a fine, firm, crisp texture which is juicy with a rich, sweet aromatic flavour.

Uses: Desert
Parents: Unknown
Flowers: Early to Mid May
Picking: Late September
Natural Storage: October – January


The Ribston Pippin apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
Young trees available from Adams Apples




Apple – Scotch Bridget

The Scotch Bridget Apple also known as White Calville, originated in Scotland in 1851.

Scotch Bridget
Scotch Bridget

A culinary apple commonly found in Cumbrian farm orchards, it will produce regularly and crops fairly heavily in Northern Locations.

The fruits have tender, soft flesh, flushed with red.  It has a subacid rich flavour and will not fall when cooked.

When kept until December, the fruit ripens to become a desert apple.



Uses: Culinary
Parents: Unknown
Flowers: Mid May
Picking: October
Natural Storage: October – December

The Scotch Bridget apple can be found growing in the orchards of Acorn Bank House, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria.
Young trees available from Adams Apples