HERITAGE ORCHARD

This area, between the car park and the large oak tree, is being planted with apple tree varieties that all originated within 10 miles of these allotments.

It will take 3-5 years for the trees to mature and produce cropping .

Varieties now planted are:

Claygate – dessert apple - discovered by John Braddick growing in a hedge near his home at Claygate and exhibited to the Horticultural Society in 1821. It received an Award of Merit in 1901 and a First Class Certificate in 1921 from the Royal Horticultural Society. It is a late with a strong sweet sharp/rich aromatic flavour, rather coarse textured juicy flesh, becoming sweet, rich and nutty when stored.

Merton Worcester – dessert apple - raised by M.B.Crane at the John Innes Institute, Merton, England in 1914. Named in 1947. It received an Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1950. An early to mid-season apple, fruits have firm, fine-textured, juicy flesh with a sweet and pleasant/strawberry flavour.

Scarlet – dessert apple - a seedling from Nonpareil which was discovered in the garden of an inn at Esher, Surrey in 1773 and was a popular dessert apple throughout the 19th century. Received the Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1901. Highly coloured fruits, with fine, creamy white flesh and a sub-acid and rich/intense sweet sharp flavour.

And the following varieties are now being grafted for us by the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale, to be planted this autumn:

Braddick’s Nonpareil (or Ditton Pippin) – dessert apple – raised by John Braddick at Thames Ditton, first exhibited in 1818, it soon became known as a first rate dessert apple which could be used all winter until March. Apples have also been used for . Fruits have firm/crispy juicy flesh with a sweet, aromatic/ intensely flavoured , sweet and tangy flavour.

Colonel Yate – culinary apple - believed to have been raised in 1905 by W.H. Divers of Surbiton, Fruits are large and have firm, fine flesh with a light subacid flavour.

Mitchelson’s Seedling – culinary apple - first described in 1815, Kingston upon Thames by Mr Mitchelson, a market gardener. Firm crisp yellowish-white flesh with an acid flavour.

We are also considering sourcing the following other apple trees which originated in the locality:

Hounslow Wonder – Nonsuch Park – Padley’s Pippin – Pixie - Royal Jubilee – Spring Grove Codlin

The descriptions given here are derived from Brogdale, Keepers’ Nursery and Bernwode Plants websites.

10 March 2018.

Hounslow wonder – culinary apple -introduced by Spooner, nurseryman of Hounslow, Middlesex. It was recorded in 1910 when it also received an Award of Merit from the RHS. Fruits have fine, firm, crisp flesh with an acid flavour.

Royal Jubilee – culinary apple - raised by Mr John Graham of Hounslow, Middlesex. First recorded in 1888. Fruits have firm, yellow flesh with a sub-acid flavour. Late flowering.

Nonsuch Park - dessert apple - perhaps grown at Henry VIII’s Nonsuch Palacene, in Surrey, first described in 1831 but of uncertain history. The fruit is small to medium sized, golden, flecked with russet, greenish flesh, firm and juicy with a full flavour. It stores until January. Fruits have firm, crisp, greenish flesh.

Padley’s Pippin – dessert apple –raised about 1810 by Mr Padley, gardener to George III at Hampton Court, Surrey. The apple was last officially recorded when exhibited in 1889 but later disappeared in Britain. Bernwode Plants claim to have located it in the USDA collection at Cornell University, who received it from the RHS in 1952. The flesh is greenish yellow, crisp and aromatic. It is a sweet, rich, excellent dessert apple, though small. Trees are also small. Best in November, keeps till January. Unusual apricot blossom.

Pixie –dessert apple - raised in 1947 at the National Fruit Trials, Wisley. Received a First Class Certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1972. Fruits have crisp, fairly juicy flesh with a good aromatic flavour.

Spring Grove Codlin n important re- of a truly excellent apple. It was ‘brought into notice by Sir Joseph Banks, in a communication to the Horticultural Society of London, read april 3, 1810’. Hogg says it was bred by Thomas Andrew Knight and named after Spring Grove, the seat of Sir Joseph Banks at Hounslow, Middlesex.

The name “Spring Grove” originates from the name of a house built by Sir John Offley in 1645 just north of the Great Western Road (now the London Road), which was the main Turnpike from London to Bath. The house was leased in 1780 to the eminent botanist and explorer Sir Joseph Banks after his voyage to the South Pacific on The Endeavour with Captain James Cook. In 1791 he also rented land around the house and purchased the house and estate in 1808.

A strain of apple called “Spring Grove Codlin” was named by Banks. It first produced by Mr. Thomas Andrew Knight (1759 - 1838) and was extensively cultivated at Spring Grove. See Heritage Fruit Trees