EYEWOOD Named after Eyewood in Herefordshire, the residence of a friend of Thomas Andrew Knight, the famed pomologist, who raised it and named it, at the end of the 18th century. A small bergamot shaped (round) pear and once called Eyewood Bergamot. The fruit is covered with pale brown russet, with a deeper brown tinge. The flesh is very melting and juicy with a rich aromatic flavour. It is a good and hardy bearer. Ripe in October. Poll C
  
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

FERTILITY IMPROVED 'Fertility' was bred by Thomas Rivers about 1875, from a seed of Beurré Goubault. It mutated into a tetraploid and was discovered by Seabrook's nurseries at Boreham, Essex, being named Fertility Improved in 1934. The small yellow fruit is liberally russeted. Rich flavour with soft, tender and very juicy flesh. It can be used for cooking before fully ripe. A good cropper and partly self fertile. Pick late September and store to the end of October. Poll C

  
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

  

FIVE GABLES PEAR Fruit and scions were brought to us by Susan Edmonds from an old tree in the garden of a five gabled house, at Eynesbury, near St Neots, Cambridgeshire, hence the new name for this anonymous old pear. A very pleasant small pear, covered with russet and developing a red blush. The flesh is sweet, lemony and juicy, ripe at the end of September. It does not last more than a few weeks. Good cropper. Poll D

    
 

FONDANTE D’AUTOMNE Known before 1825. A green-yellow, rounded dessert fruit with russet skin and sweet, melting, aromatic flesh. The trees are small, with a neat habit and are hardy, fruiting reliably. It is reported not to pollinate Louise Bonne of Jersey, Seckle or Williams’ Bon Chrêtien. Ripe in September or early October. Heavy cropper. Poll C

    
   
FORELLE A very old pear, known since the 1670s and probably originally from Northern Germany. The name is the German word for a trout, as the prominent lenticel markings resemble the spots of a trout belly. The fruits have a shiny skin, which is light yellow flushed with bright scarlet, with juicy, melting, sweet flesh. Best in a warm spot. Pick October, eat from November to January. Poll B
    
 
FRANCHIPANNE Also called Frangipane, but we use the earlier name. It has been known in Britain since the mid 18th century, but is probably a much older pear. Medium sized, with green skin ripening to yellow, and which is liberally covered with russet dots. Ripe in October, the flesh is white, tender and melting. Named after the almond paste, frangipan, (franchipanne in Europe), this pear has an unusual almond scent. Poll D
   
 
FRINGFORD GOLD This delicious pear is from a small orchard at the Old Rectory, built in 1680, in the pretty village of Fringford, Oxfordshire. It was brought to our attention by the owner at the time, Charles Hebditch. Fringford owes some celebrity to it being the fictional ‘Candleford Green’ created by Flora Thompson in ‘Lark Rise to Candleford’. She lived at Fringford and worked in the post office there, in her early adulthood. The small tree at the Rectory, against an old wall, was very decrepit. The pears are small and fully ripe in mid October, when the juice runs out. The flesh is very fine, melting, very sweet and with excellent flavour. If taken from the tree just before ripe, they are crunchy and sweet, for those who like a firmer pear. A perfect pear.
   
   
GANSEL’S BERGAMOT An old dessert pear that existed before 1724. Medium sized, but capable of becoming large in some conditions, roundish, slightly flattened and with dull brown skin, becoming yellow, sometimes blushed red. The flesh is sweet, melting and juicy with a pronounced musk flavour. Ripe in late autumn. Poll C
    
    GIN A Gloucestershire perry pear variety, popular around Newent. Small, flattened conical pears with a green skin, flushed orange, ripe in October and producing fine perry, with middle range tannin and acidity. Trees are medium sized. Poll C    
   
GLOU MORCEAU This old dessert variety was raised around 1750 by Abbé Hardenpont from Mons in Belgium and initially called Beurré D’Arenberg. This name already existed, so it was renamed Beurré D’Hardenpont and introduced in France in 1806. It was sent to Britain in 1820, by Msr Parmentier of Enghien, Belgium, as Glou Morceau. It fruits late and is slow to ripen, achieving its best flavour when stored for a month. The medium sized pears are green and the flesh is white and melting. 'Glou' comes from 'golou', Flemish for 'delicious', - and it is. Best in a warm site, it is said to be partly self fertile and is a reliable cropper. It keeps to February. Poll C
    
   
GREEN PEAR OF YAIR In the collection of the London Horticultural Society by 1826, its full age is unknown. Supposedly from Yair, Peebleshire, Scotland, it is a medium sized oval pear with skin of dark green ripening to yellowish green. When ripe in September the flesh is tender, juicy and sugary. Poll B
    
   
HAZEL An old pear tree growing in the garden of The Polecat public house in Prestwood, near Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. It was pointed out to us by George Lewis of ‘Prestwood Nature’. The pear had been known as ‘Hazel’ by past owners, according to the owner at the time, John Gamble, and though this is a known synonym of Hessle, the two pears are not the same. Hazel is a medium sized dessert pear, ripe in October, with fine juicy flesh, lemony and sweet. The skin is green, patched and flecked with russet. The age of the tree suggests the variety is at least 19th century. Poll B
    
 
HÉBÉ A cross between Easter Beurré and Duchesse D’Angoulême, raised a little before 1860, in South Carolina by Mr William Sumner. John Scott introduced it to Britain in 1867. He described it as ‘a cup of wine of the finest kind – equal to champagne’. A large pear, green, becoming bright yellow when ripe in November or December. It has been unknown in Britain since the 19th century but we located it in the Nick Botner collection and he sent scions in 2010. Hebe was the cup-bearer to the Gods in Greek mythology. Poll B
    
 
HELLENS EARLY Originating in the 17th century, it is a small and dumpy, bittersweet perry pear, ripe in September and making a good perry as a single variety. Named after The Hellens, the home of its originator at Much Marcle, it was widely planted in Herefordshire and also in Gloucestershire. Also known as Sweet Huffcap. Vigorous trees and heavy cropping. Poll B
    
   
HENDRE HUFFCAP Another small, bittersweet perry pear, and good for a single variety perry. Long known in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. Poll C