Orchards, Trees & Orchard Produce

Some Lancashire Fruit

Dessert Apples
Duke of Devonshire, ‘quite indispensable for late use.’ Raised in 1835 by Mr Wilson, gardener to the Duke of Devonshire at Holker Hall, Cark-in-Cartmel. Rich nutty flavour. Firm, fairly juicy and slightly acid. At its best well after Christmas. Lange’s Perfection from Wigan, 1983. Proctor’s Seedling raised in the Longridge area east of Preston in the 19th century..

Cooking Apples
Harvest Festival raised in about 1949 by Mrs Helen Lloyd of Lytham, who became mayoress. Keswick Codlin, a distinctly angular and rather ugly apple found growing behind a wall at Gleaston Castle near Ulverston, Lancs, sometime before 1793. Later introduced commercially by John Sander, nurseryman of Keswick. Widely grown in Yorkshire where it was the farmer’s favourite. Pale yellow-green, large and tender, an early variety, can be used for tarts as early as July. Lord Suffield, the largest of the codlin-type cooking apples. Once grown widely as an early cooker, now superceded by Early Victoria, raised by Thomas Thorpe, a weaver from Middleton, near Manchester, first distributed in 1836. Unsuitable for high rainfall areas, crisp, juicy and acid, breaks up completely when cooked, frothy baker. Manks Codlin raised by Mr Kewley of Ballanard, Isle of Man, first fruited in 1815, grows well in exposed situations. ‘Sweet, light, fruity, keeping its shape. Delicious as a plainly baked apple – just right for ‘codlins and cream’. Makes a great apple snow. Keeps until November – unusual for an early variety. Minshull Crab / Lancashire Crab – from Minshull village in Cheshire, recorded in 1777. Hard apple, keeps shape when cooked, and makes stiff puree, very sharp taste. Grown in Lancashire for Cotton towns including Manchester. Pott’s Seedling raised in about 1849 by Samuel Potts of Ashton under Lyme, and made popular by nurseryman John Nelson of Rotherham who noticed the apple growing in a garden in Oldham in the 1850s. Scotch Bridget – thought to have originated in Scotland but popular around Lancaster in 19th century and still found here. Grows in difficult conditions. A variety called Lancashire Scotch Bridget was exhibited from Preston in 1893 and is reputed to be slightly later maturing. Sowman’s Seedling raised in 1914 at the County Agricultural Station at Hutton by AG Sowman. Cooks to a sharp froth, needing sugar.

Dual Purpose Apples
Longstart, first recorded 1851 in Westmorland, Favoured cottage garden apple around Westmorland and Lancaster in the 19th century. Gold Medal (original name Ryland Suprise) raised in Preston in about 1882 by nurseryman Mr Troughton. John Huggett raised in Grange-over-Sands (now administratively in Cumbria) in 1940 by John Huggett. Florence Bennett raised by Mrs F Bennett of Crosby Green, West Derby in the 1950s, possibly from an apple core thrown onto the garden rubbish heap. Lady's Delight recorded in 1851, juicy, sweet, brisk, tree has a drooping habit.

Cider Apples
Golden Spire / Tom Matthews found in Lancashire in about 1850 and introduced by Richard Smith, a nurseryman in Worcester, also widely grown in Scotland.

Other Apples
Hargreaves Greensweet, Hutton Square, Lady’s Finger of Lancaster.

Pears
Recent surveys by the Northern Fruit Group in the Eccleston area south of Preston have uncovered local names for some of the pear varieties grown: Walton Weeper (possiby Citron des Carmes) ripens at the end of July and formerly sent to the Wigan markets. Stone Pear (Winter Hackling) is a very late cooker and the Clayton Pear is an early yellow-skinned dessert variety. Green Slipper pear was grown in the area and grafts have been taken from a lone tree of that name in the Lancaster area, 25 miles to the north. "The Compleat Planter and Cyderist" of 1685 refers to the Slipper pear as being "the best of all Pears to dry and a good bearer". Tongue’s Seedling is found in the village of Forton and was raised by the nespaper editor and amateur horticulturalist, Richard Tongue in the early 19th century. Other pears of interest include Early Portugal which is possibly Hogg's Summer Portugal and Beurre Bronze.

This list was compiled using many sources including The New Book of Apples by Joan Morgan and Alison Richards (Ebury Press 2002). With thanks to Phil Rainford of the Northern Fruit Group who kindly made amendements in early 2006.

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