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 CONTENTS
"All the most perfect fruits are developed
from the exquisite forms either of foliage or flower. The
apple is essentially the fruit of the rose."
John Ruskin, 1875
Britain has the largest heritage of
apples of any country in the world. Only a handful of varieties
can be seen for sale today, but old cultivars still exist
in orchards all over the country. Each area of the country
developed its own varieties of apples and Cumbria is no exception.
Many Cumbrian places are linked with apples - from Appleby
('farmstead with an apple tree') to Applethwaite, near Keswick
('clearing where apples grew').
HISTORY OF APPLE GROWING
Apples were historically grown to provide fruit for pies
and puddings, and filled a gap in the growing season between
the picking of late season damsons and the harvesting of early
rhubarb.
Some apple varieties ('cookers') were grown specifically
for their acidity, which allowed them to 'fall' (soften) whilst
cooking. Dessert apples have a higher sugar content and can
be eaten raw. Other varieties can be cooked or eaten and are
known as dual-purpose apples.
In Cumbria, apples were grown in farm orchards, market gardens
and in the walled gardens of large country houses. The farm
orchards were planted as part of the need for self-sufficiency
and any surplus was often traded in local markets such as
at Kendal. Most of these orchards grew a range of cultivars
that typically included early varieties such as Keswick Codlin,
midseason cookers like Greenup's Pippin, and keeping apples
such as Scotch Bridget that could be stored for winter use.
The large houses of Cumbria grew a wide range of fruit trees.
Apple trees were often trained to grow against a sunny wall
to ripen the fruit, or grown as espaliers along the edges
of paths in the kitchen gardens.
The head gardeners would select varieties of apples depending
on what was in fashion, and so the beautifully striped Lady
Sudeley (1849) and the intensely flavoured Adam's Pearmain
were popularly grown to grace the tables in Victorian and
Edwardian times. Many new varieties were created by the head
gardeners and named after the master or mistress of the hall.
For instance, at Holker Hall, the 'Duke of Devonshire' was
developed by the head gardener in 1835 and named after his
employer. Along with the Duke are the similarly created Lord
Derby, Lord Grosvenor and Lady Henniker, as well as Lady Sudeley.
In the 1960s, imported fruit became more widely available.
Supermarkets demanded more uniformity in shape, size and taste
of apples (and availability all year round), which the home-grown
market could not supply on a large scale. Thus began the gradual
neglect and loss of many apple orchards as the markets diminished;
a fact borne out by a local survey, which revealed that more
than half of the orchards in Dacre and Ravenstonedale parishes
in 1900 had been lost by the end of the century (Cumbria Apple
Project, 1998).
The dramatic fall in the number of orchards alerted organisations
such as Common Ground who responded by organising an Apple
Day festival to rekindle interest in traditional orchards.
Apple Day is now an annual event and, in Cumbria, is held
at Acorn Bank (near Temple Sowerby) on or around the third
Sunday in October. The Northern Fruit Group is also active
in promoting orchards and apple produce in this area.
Under the new Environmental Stewardship Scheme (due to be
launched in 2005) there are proposals to fund the re-creation,
restoration and continuing management of traditional orchards.
For further details contact the Rural Development Service
of DEFRA - see Useful Contacts.
LOCAL VARIETIES
Not all types of apples and pears can grow well in Cumbria.
The best varieties are those that can tolerate the region's
cooler and wetter climate.
- Autumn Harvest
Reliable early autumn cooker and eater.
- Bradley's Beauty
Found growing on the mosses at Witherslack c. 1990 - an
extremely strong grower.
- Carlisle Codlin
Named after the town and first recorded in 1830.
- Duke of Devonshire
A dessert apple from Holker Hall, first recorded in 1835.
- Fallbarrow Favourite
Recently rediscovered in an orchard in the Crosthwaite area.
Possibly linked with Fallbarrow Park at Bowness-on-Windermere.
- Forty Shilling
Mid-season dessert apple that originally came from Thursby,
near Carlisle. First recorded in 1800.
- Greenup's Pippin (also known as Yorkshire Beauty)
Came from the garden of a shoemaker in Keswick. It was recorded
in the late 1700s and was able to survive well in the harsher
climate of Cumbria. It is a bright red and yellow cooking
apple that matures in early autumn.
- Harvest Lemon
Known in 1934 and rediscovered in a farm orchard near Carlisle.
- Keswick Codlin
This famous Victorian early cooker was found growing on
a rubbish heap at Gleaston Castle near Ulverston and introduced
by a Keswick nurseryman in 1790. Its popularity as the earliest
cooker of its day made it a county-wide favourite.
- Lemon Square
Generally only found in the Eden valley.
- Longstart
Mid-season dual purpose apple, popular with cottagers. First
recorded in 1851.
- Margil
Planted in the Crosthwaite area in the 1800s but known to
be in existence in the 1700s.
- Nelson's Favourite
From Kendal. Recorded in 1958, but thought to be much older.
- Rank Thorn
Beautiful red striped apple that might have originated from
the farm of the same name in the Cartmel Fell area.
- Scotch Bridget
Reliable apple that could grow under difficult conditions.
It was grown in many commercial orchards locally. It is
an irregular ribbed apple with good keeping qualities.
- Taylor's Favourite
Known from the Lyth Valley. One tree, planted in 1879, is
still producing apples today.
- Wheaten Loaves
Another rare variety growing in the Lyth Valley.
Note: Contrary to popular belief the Egremont Russet
apple is not a local Cumbrian variety. It was created on the
estate of Lord Egremont at Petworth in Sussex in the late
19th century and named after the family.
WESTMORLAND THREE DECKER PUDDING
Ingredients:
450g/1lb of peeled, cored and chopped apples
3tbs of sugar
1tbs of Demerara sugar
150g/5oz plain flower
75g/2oz butter
- Make up the shortcrust pastry, roll out and cut into four
15cm/6" circles.
- Line a 15cm/6" cake tin with foil and place one of
the shortcrust circles at the bottom.
- Cover with a third of the apples and sugar.
- Repeat process twice more, then place the final circle
of pastry over the top.
- Brush with milk and sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
Bake at Gas Mark 5 (190 C/275 F) for 50-60 minutes, turning
down the heat if necessary.
Serve hot or cold with custard or cream.
MAINTAINING OLD VARIETIES
 Old
varieties can be saved through grafting or budding. Grafting
is the process by which a section of scion wood from the original
tree is attached (grafted) onto new rootstock. This keeps
the genetic make-up of the old apple tree intact, in comparison
to planting a seed, which will always create a new variety
(a cross between the blossom parent and the pollinating parent).
Budding is done in July when a bud of the old variety is attached
to new rootstock and allowed to grow.
If you have old apple trees that you would like to preserve
or take a graft from, please contact Hilary Wilson at Carlingill,
near Tebay. Hilary has an established orchard of over 150
local varieties and can supply grafted stock or graft from
your own trees. Tel: 015396 24661 or email: JHWilson@kencomp.co.uk
for details.
If you would like to establish new apple trees, please contact
Hilary or your local tree nursery for information on what
varieties are suitable for growing in your area.
WHERE TO FIND APPLE ORCHARDS
"What can your eye desire to see,
your ears heare, your mouth to taste, or your nose to smell,
that is not to be had in an Orchard, with abundance of variety?"
William Lawson, 1656
1. The walled garden at Hutton-in-the-Forest is the
best place locally to see apple trees trained into fan or
espalier patterns. Some of the trees date from a major replanting
of the garden in the 1870s. Varieties include Laxton's Fortune,
Crawley Beauty, Lord Derby, Rival and Beauty of Bath. Much
of the produce is used in the tearoom during the season.
Hutton-in-the-Forest, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 9TH
Tel: 017684 84449
Email: info@hutton-in-the-forest.co.uk
Website: www.hutton-in-the-forest.co.uk
 2.
At Dalemain, near Penrith, a walled garden containing
apple trees is open to the public. Most of the trees date
from the 18th century and include varieties such as Keswick
Codlin, Allington Pippin, Hambledon Deux Ans, Charles Ross,
Lady Sudeley and Duchess of Kent. In a corner of the garden
is an apple-keeping house. Inside are the original wooden
racks used for storing the apples. Much of Dalemain's apple
produce is consumed in the tearoom.
Dalemain, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HB.
Contact: Marta Bakinowska
Tel: 017684 86450
Fax: 017684 86223
Email: admin@dalemain.com
Website: www.dalemain.com
3. Acorn Bank, a National Trust property, holds a large
collection of apple varieties. The oldest trees in the walled
garden date from the 1930s and include varieties such as Scotch
Bridget, Dumelow's Seedling and Norfolk Beefing. In 2000,
a new orchard was planted up with regional varieties. Acorn
Bank is the venue for Apple Day in Cumbria - see 'Apple Events'
for details.
Acorn Bank, Temple Sowerby, Penrith, CA10 1SP
Contact: Chris or Sarah Braithwaite
Tel: 017683 61893
Email: acornbank@nationaltrust.org.uk
Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
4. Sizergh Castle has a large apple and fruit orchard
at the rear of the kitchen garden. The older trees date from
the early 1970s with a range of younger cultivars planted
in the 1990s. Varieties include Forty Shilling, Fallbarrow
Favourite, Rank Thorn, Carlisle Codlin and Duke of Devonshire.
No herbicides, pesticides or fertilisers are used in the orchard,
and the whole area is underplanted with thousands of daffodils,
providing a splash of colour in the spring. All of Sizergh's
farm orchards are currently under a programme of restoration.
Sizergh Castle, nr Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 8AE
Contact: John Hawley
Tel: 015395 60951
Email: sizergh@nationaltrust.org.uk
Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
5. The orchard at Levens Hall is tucked away behind
the topiary gardens. The trees are planted in regular quadrants
divided by herbaceous borders. Many of the trees are over
100 years old. Varieties to be seen include Lady Sudeley,
King's Acre Pippin, Lord Lambourne and King of the Pippins.
Levens Hall, nr Kendal, Cumbria, LA8
Contact: Chris Crowder
Tel: 015395 60321
Email: email@levenshall.fsnet.co.uk
Website: www.levenshall.co.uk
6. Grange Community Orchard was established in 1997
in the grounds of Yewbarrow Lodge opposite the ornamental
gardens. The site contains apple trees suitable for growing
in the north of England including the local variety, John
Hugget, which was first grown in Grange in 1940. Other varieties
include Ashmead's Kernel (dating from 1700), White Melrose,
Lord Derby, Warner's King, Keswick Codlin and Lady's Finger
of Lancaster. The orchard is maintained by the local Civic
Society.
Grange Community Orchard, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria
Contact: Shirley Leaver
Tel: 015395 34807
7. Brantwood, the home of John Ruskin, has a number
of apple trees in its extensive grounds: a row of young apple
cordons provides a backdrop in the Professor's Garden and
an orchard dating from 1989 can be seen in the Lower Garden.
Varieties include Keswick Codlin, Ribston Pippin (one of Ruskin's
favourite apples), and the unusual Court Pendu Plat (said
to have originated in Roman times and also known as the 'wise
apple'). Most of Brantwood's apples are used in the tearoom
or to produce preserves for sale on site.
Brantwood, Coniston, Cumbria, LA21 8AD
Contact: Sally Beamish
Tel: 015394 41396
Email: enquiries@brantwood.org.uk
Website: www.brantwood.org.uk
8. Mirehouse has a recently replanted orchard in the
old walled garden. The trees were specially chosen as suitable
for growing in Cumbria and include unusual varieties such
as Broad Eyed Pippin, Bushey Grove, Northern Greening and
Catshead (a variety dating from the early 1600s). An avenue
of crab apple trees has also been planted nearby. The garden
at Mirehouse is open from April to October only.
 Mirehouse,
Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 4QE
Tel/Fax: 017687 75356
Email: info@mirehouse.com
Website: www.mirehouse.com
APPLE EVENTS
Apple Day is a national event that takes place annually
in mid to late October all over the country. In Cumbria, Apple
Day is held at Acorn Bank (near Temple Sowerby) with apple
games, advice on growing apples, pruning demonstrations and
cookery demonstrations. A large number of different varieties
are available for sale and to sample, and you can also bring
your own apples to be identified (advance notice is preferred).
Contact Acorn Bank on 017683 61893 for more details.
Beetham Nurseries hold an apple and fruit tree promotion
event in October every year, along with apple-themed meals
in the tearoom.
Contact Beetham Nurseries on 015395 63630.
Brantwood offers an Apple Discovery Trail each autumn
to celebrate English apple varieties. Visitors follow a trail
of clues to learn about the different apples grown at Brantwood.
Contact Brantwood on 015394 41396.
The Egremont Crab Fair dates back to 1267 when a royal
charter was granted by Henry III to celebrate the annual apple
harvest by holding a fair. Although the event is nowadays
associated with gurning (pulling faces), the fair is still
opened with an apple cart being pulled along the main street
of Egremont and apples thrown to the crowds thronging the
streets. The fair usually takes place on the third Saturday
of September.
Contact Egremont Tourist Information Centre on 01946 820693.
LOCAL PRODUCERS
Wild and Fruitful produces a range of jams, chutneys,
fruit cheeses and jellies using local apples.
Contact: Jane Maggs,
Hillside,
Cuddy Lonning,
Wigton, Cumbria,
CA7 0AA.
Tel/Fax: 016973 44304.
Email: clover@maryport1.fsnet.co.uk.
Website: www.wild&fruitful.co.uk.
The Apple Orchard Juice Company makes apple juices
sourced from orchards in Cumbria wherever possible. Three
varieties of juice are produced - sweet, medium and dry -
with no added water, sugar or preservative.
Contact The Apple Orchard Juice Company Ltd,
The Lodge,
Burton Road,
Natland,
Kendal,
Cumbria,
LA9 7XX.
Tel: 01539 722276.
Email: sales@theappleorchardjuicecompany.co.uk.
Website: www.theappleorchardjuicecompany.co.uk.
ORCHARD LINK
 Orchard
Link puts orchard owners in contact with local producers for
mutual benefit.
Many apples go unpicked every year, which represents huge
wastage of a locally grown crop. However, there are local
producers who need your apples to make apple juice or apple-based
preserves, etc.
If you have surplus clean apples and would like to donate
them to local producers, please contact the Orchard Link number
below. In return, you would receive a specified amount of
apple produce for your own use.
Orchard Link can be contacted at Leader+ on 01768 869533
or email info@fellsanddales.org.uk
for more information.
USEFUL CONTACTS
Brogdale Horticultural Trust,
near Faversham,
Kent,
ME13 8XZ.
Tel: 01795 535286.
Holds National Fruit Collection.
Apple varieties identified (fee payable).
Royal Horticultural Society,
Wisley,
Woking,
Surrey,
GU23 6QB.
Website: www.rhs.org.uk.
Apples identified (fee payable).
Common Ground,
Gold Hill House,
21 High Street,
Shaftesbury,
Dorset,
SP7 8JE.
Tel: 01747 850820.
Email: info@commonground.org.uk.
Website: www.commonground.org.uk.
Northern Fruit Group,
Simon Clark (Secretary),
49 Gledhow Wood Avenue,
Leeds,
LS8 1NX.
Tel: 0113 266 3235.
Email: scclarksc@hotmail.com.
Local contact: Ken Mills,
11 Howard Park,
Greystoke,
Cumbria,
CA11 0TU.
Tel: 017684 83536.
Email: ann-ken@fsmail.net.
HDRA (Henry Doubleday Research Association), Ryton
Organic Garden, Coventry, CV8 3LG. Tel: 024 7630 3517. Email:
enquiry@hdra.org.uk. Website: www.hdra.org.uk.
RDS (Rural Development Service), Agricola House, Gilwilly
Trading Estate, Penrith, CA11 8BN. Tel: 01768 860700. Website:
www.defra.gov.uk. Information on orchard restoration.
GETTING AROUND
For details on how to access public orchards by public transport,
please contact Traveline on 08700 608 2608.
Email: info@traveline-cumbria.co.uk.
Website: www.traveline.org.uk.
CREDITS
Produced by Anna Gray for Leader+ (Cumbria Fells & Dales)
Researched and written by Anna Gray and Hilary Wilson.
Designed by Andrew Lathwell Design Ltd.
Illustrated by Juliet Whitworth.
Printed by Reeds of Penrith, 2004.
Front cover photographs by Val Corbett and David Baxter.
Other photographs supplied by Val Corbett, David Baxter, Anna
Gray and Hilary Wilson.
 LEADER+
(Cumbria Fells & Dales)
The Old Stables,
Redhills,
Penrith,
Cumbria,
CA11 0DT
Tel: 01768 869533
Email: info@fellsanddales.org.uk
Website: www.fellsanddales.org.uk
For visually impaired
people an enlarged PDF version (text only) is available here.
This is one of a series of themed trails being produced
by LEADER+ (Cumbria Fells & Dales) to promote the area
and its local products.
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