Orchards, Trees & Orchard Produce

Some Sussex Fruit

Dessert Apples
Aldwick Beauty from Mrs DM Alford of Aldwick, Bognor Regis. Coronation raised at Buxted park by HC Princep, recorded 1902. Crawley Reinette introduced by J Cheal & Sons nursery, Crawley, recorded 1902. Duck’s Bill from Fred Streeter, Head Gardener of Petworth House in 1937, may be ancient variety of same name. Eastbourne Pippin raised by E A Lindley of Eastbourne in 1930. Egremont Russet, the most commercial of all the russets. Thought to have been raised by Lord Egremont in the 1870s at Petworth. Rich nutty flavour. Crisp, firm and fairly juicy. Holds its shape well if cooked. Golden Bounty raised by A C Nash at Scutes Farm, Hastings in about 1940. Golden Pippin a 17th century variety from Parham Park near Arundel. June Crewdson from Bernard Crewdson, Limpsfield. Knobby Russet from Haslar Capron of Midhurst, 1820, knobbly, russetted appearance, and strong flavour. Lady Hopetown from Bexhill 1950. Lady Sudeley raised in about 1949 by Mr Jacobs who called it Jacob’s Strawberry. He is thought at that time to be the Bailiff of Sharsted Farm, Chatham in Kent. He took the apple to Petworth with him. Renamed by George Bunyard & Co nursery, Maidstone, Kent. Mannington’s Pearmain from about 1770, grew in cider pomace thrown over a garden hedge by Mr Turley a blacksmith in Uckfield. His grandson, John Mannington sent it in 1847 to the RHS. Rich, nutty. Nanny - from either W Sussex or Surrey, recorded 1842. Saltcote Pippin raised by James Hoad of Rye, recorded 1818. Sussex Mother grown around Heathfield in 19th century. Tinsley Quince from R Fairman of Crawley in 1942. Wadhurst Pippin thought to be the same variety that arose in Wadhurst in the early 19th century.

Cooking Apples
Alfriston raised at Uckfield by Mr Shepherd in the late 18th century. Originally called Shepherd’s Seedling / Pippin and renamed by Mr Brookes of Alfriston in 1819. Very popular in the last century. Large, sugary and brisk. Cooks to a tender golden-brown with a delicious pear-like flavour. Deep bright green to greenish-yellow. Doctor Hogg raised by the Head Gardener at Leonardslee, Horsham, introduced about 1880, named after Victorian pomologist.

Dual Purpose Apples
Crawley Beauty discovered by the Cheals in about 1870 in a cottage garden near their nursery, now under Gatwick airport. Edmund Jupp from Horsham, recorded 1862. Forge, the apple of choice for cottage gardens in the south-east, from the former iron-working area around East Grinstead and Crawley, first described in 1851.

Other Apples
Ashdown Seedling, First and Last, Goodwood Pippin, Hawkridge,Old Middlemas, Petworth Nonpareil.

Plums
Victoria - Considered the best plum for canning, bottling and jam. Traditionally regarded as a chance seedling found in a garden at Alderton, Sussex, but Christopher Stocks challenges this in his excellent book "Forgotten Fruits" (Random House, 2008):

"Pick up any book on the subject and you'll read pretty much the same account: that it was found in a cottage garden in the Sussex village of Alderton ... But as a historical record it has a fatal flaw. For it takes only a quick look through the maps to reveal that there is no such place as Alderton, at least not in Sussex .... Could the 'Alderton' plum have been named after the person who found it, rather than the vilage it was found in? ... Then again, it could be as simple as a spelling mistake, made once then lazily perpetuated. There may be no Alderton in Sussex, but intriguingly there is a pretty and still rather remote little vilage called Walderton that sits in a fold of the Downs between Chichester and Emsworth. Could Walderton be Alderton? If it is, it raises the exciting possibility that the original Victoria plum tree might still be found in one of its cottage gardens."

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

Please get in touch with any additions or corrections