Orchards, Trees & Orchard Produce

Some Devon Fruit

Upton

Dessert Apples
Devon Crimson Queen / Queenie from Launceston, Cornwall 1953, once popular in the Tamar Valley. Devonshire Quarrenden a very old variety mentioned in 1678. It may take its name from Carentan, an apple-growing district in France. It was extensively grown in the West Country where it tolerates the rain. Beautiful polished dark crimson flush. Distinct and refreshing flavour. Johnny Voun from Barnstaple. Lucombe’s Pine raised at Lucombe Pince & Co, Exeter in about 1800. Lucombe’s Seedling / Newquay Prizetaker – raised at Lucombe Pince & Co, Exeter in 1831. Oaken Pin / Taylor from the Exe Valley pre 1876, grown widely on Exmoor in 1920s. Pear Apple. Pine Apple Russet of Devon, 1920, indistinguishable from Sussex Peach / Pomeroy of Herefordshire. Queen’s from Veitch nursery, Exeter 1883. Star of Devon raised by J Garland of Broadclyst around 1905. Sugar Loaf. White Quarrenden originally from Hanniford Nursery, Paignton raised in about 1918. Woolbrook Pippin raised at JH Stevens & Son nursery in Woolbrook, Sidmouth 1903.

Dual Purpose Apples
All Doer from Lapford. Crimson King / John Toucher’s, Bewley Down Pippin / Jackson’s a dessert and cider apple, from East Devon / Somerset. Farmer’s Glory Devon, eater & cooker. Golden Bittersweet from Mr Rendall of Netherton Manor late 19th century, dessert and cider apple. Hollow Core from Exeter 1880. Improved Keswick from Tamar Valley. Listener from Landkey & East Buckland, cider & dessert. Payhembury a cooker & cider apple from East Devon. Peter Lock found in Dean Woods, Buckfastleigh in early 1800s by villager Peter Lock, dessert and cooking variety. Plymton Pippin, cooker and dessert apple from Tamar Valley and Linkinhorne, Cornwall. Ponsford from Crediton, may be from pre 1888, cider and cooker. Sugar Bush, a dessert and cider variety from Lapford, Devon. Sweet Cleave, may be same as Flanders Pippin, from Barnstaple pre 1831. The Rattler. Upton, raised by nurseryman Pyne of Topsham, intoduced in 1910, dessert and cooking apple. Winter Peach from East Buckland, also attributed to Hanniford Nursery of Paignton around 1910. Winter Queening / Winter Pearmain possibly from Devon, a dessert and cooking apple.

Cooking Apples
Beef Apple from Dunsford. Devonshire Buckland may be from Devon 1831. No Pip from East Morley, Whiteway, Chudleigh in 1913. Quarry Apple. Stockbearer from Landkey. Venus Pippin / Plumderity from Tamar Valley around 1800. Warner’s King. Woolbrook Russet raised in 1903 at JH Stevens & Son, Woolbrook Nursery, Sidmouth.

Cider Apples
Beech Bearer, Bickington Grey / Gray, Bluey Sweet, Butterbox, Buttery D’Or, Coleman’s Seedling, Crimson King / John Toucher’s, Bewley Down Pippin / Jackson’s propogated by John Toucher of Bewley Down, Chardstock in the late 19th century. Once popular in farms in south west Somerset and neighbouring parts of Devon. Dufflin from west Devon & Cornwall. French Long Stem, Golden Ball from Devon and Somerset. Golden Bittersweet from Netherton. Goring from Tedburn St Mary. Great Britain, Green Bittersweet, Halstow Natural from Tedburn St Mary. Hangdown / Horner’s Handydown / Pocket Apple may be from Glastonbury, Somerset, but also widely grown in North Devon where it is known as Pocket Apple. Johnny Andrews from Tedburn St Mary. Killerton Sharp, King Manning. Langworthy / Sour Natural / Wyatt’s Seedling probably from Devon, once popular in Devon and Somerset. Listener from Landkey & East Buckland. Northwood / Woodbine from Crediton 18th century. Paignton Marigold from Paignton pre 1834. Pear Pine, Pound, Rawlings, Sercombe’s Natural, Slack Ma Girdle, Spicey Pippin, Spotted Dick, Stone Pippin, Sugar Sweet, Sweet Alford, Sweet Bay, Sweet Bramley, Sweet Cluster. Sweet Coppin from Devon, early 18th century, particularly Exeter area, and also planted in Somerset. Tale Sweet from Tale, near Honiton. Tan Harvey from Tamar Valley, trees found in 1980 by James Evans. Tremlett’s Bitter from the Exe Valley late 19th Century. Wellington perhaps from Killerton. Whimple Queen, Whimple Wonder, White Close Pippin, White Sheep’s Nose, Winter Stubbard.

Other Apples
Allspice, Barum Beauty, Billy Down Pippin from Membury. Billy White, Bowden’s Seedling from Devon pre 1931 but may be same as the 1826 US apple Jonathan. Brown’s Apple from Staverton, Cerit, Court Royal / Sweet Blenheim / Improved Pound from South & East Devon, Crediton Fair, Crimson Costard, Crimson Victoria from Shute, Axminster, Dawe, Devonshire Court Pendu, Devonshire Redstreake, Devonshire Striped, Devonshire Whitesour, Docker’s Devonshire. Ellis Bitter from Crediton area, perhaps Newton St Cyres, in the 19th century. Endsleigh Beauty from Torquay 1906. Fair Maid of Devon from East Devon, Glass Apple from the Tamar Valley. Herefordshire Pippin from Axminster. Limberland from Landkey. Lincoln Horn, Long Bite, Major from East Devon, Michaelmas Stubbard, Morgan Sweet, Pendragon. Plum Vite pre 1800. Pyne’s Pearmaine, Quench, Red Jersey / Loran Drain / Loyal Drain / Loyal Drong from East Devon, Red Ribbed Greening / Cornish Pine, Red Robin, Reine des Pommes, Reynold’s Peach 1880s. Royal Somerset, Saw Pit from the Tamar Valley, Sops in Wine, Tamar Beauty, Thin Skin. Tom Potter may be same as Tom Put and Devonshire Nine Square, thought to have come from Gittisham near Honiton in 1700s. Whitesour.

Pears
Plymouth Pear rare wild variety found in 1865. Not edible but of national importance, to be found in a handful of hedgerows in Plymouth and Truro, although further research may turn up other areas. It has been included on English Nature’s Species Recovery Programme and has legal protection under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. Small fruit on spiny purplish stems, pretty blossom and considered by some to have a rather unpleasant smell.

Plums
Dittisham Plowman grown only in the valley of the River Dart, probably originated as a chance seedling and trees are raised from suckers, not budded or grafted, good for jam or bottling.

Cherries
Dun, Large Black, Preserving, Small Black, Green Stemmed Black, Bottlers.

For apple varieties see also Cornwall for varieties of the Tamar Valley.

This list was compiled using many sources including work by Orchards Live-North Devon and The New Book of Apples by Joan Morgan and Alison Richards (Ebury Press 2002).

Please get in touch with any additions or corrections