Gloucestershire Apples


In addition to the Gloucestershire apples in the main listings, we have a selection of old and rare apples, originating in Gloucestershire and kindly made available to us by the Gloucestershire Orchard Group. For those wishing to plant local, traditional, varieties in Gloucestershire we hope they will be of interest.

There are other Gloucestershire apples in the main Apple List.


These trees are only grafted in modest numbers. Some will be available at any time of year, but others might have to be grafted to order, on the rootstock of your choice. We graft in the early part of the year and trees are then ready to go in the autumn of that year.

 

ARLINGHAM SCHOOLBOYS From Arlingham, Gloucestershire, and named before 1914. Triple purpose, medium sized, mid-season, storing to the end of November. Green with red stripes and flushes. Vigorous trees. A fairly good dessert apple with a sweet and full flavour, without too much acid. When cooked it keeps its shape, with a mild flavour. It is, perhaps, better as a dessert apple. Large flowers with dark buds.

BERKELEY PIPPIN Presumed originating at Berkeley and known at the start of the 20th century, when considered a cider variety. A dessert apple, medium sized, flattened round, often conical and irregular. The skin is dull green with red stripes. It is really quite late to ripen, often well into November, when it develops its full flavour.

BLOOD ROYAL Said to be triple purpose by the Gloucestershire Orchard Group but probably better as a cider apple and for dessert. It is an attractive, small/medium sized, flattened round apple, with dark red and pale spots over most of the skin. Before ripe, the flesh is quite hard and sharp but by mid-November it is crisp, yielding, juicy, fairly sweet and well flavoured. When cooked it is resistant to softening, keeps its shape and does not compete with better cooking apples. Store until December.

BUSHY FRENCH Cider sweet, small to medium sized, green with brown blush sometimes with red stripes and patchy russet. Flesh green, sweet and slightly tannic. Late season and flowering late. It starts shrinking by the end of November, though it remains juicy.

CAMBRIDGE QUEENING A cider sharp, which can be eaten as a dessert apple after keeping. Known since the start of the 20th century. Believed to be from Cambridge, Gloucestershire. The fruit varies in shape, sometimes it is irregular and ribbed, sometimes more rounded, with striking stripes and flecks, which sometimes spread to cover the skin with dark red. There are patches of russet. The flesh can be slightly chewy but the flavour is good.

CORSE HILL Raised before 1884 at Corse Hill farm. Principally for cider, but also used for culinary purposes and dessert. Conical, sometimes long, green with a brown red flush. Mildly flavoured; will keep until December.

DYMOCK RED From Dymock village, mentioned by Evelyn in 1670. A cider bittersweet, also eaten as a dessert apple. The shape is irregular, sometimes conical, sometimes flattened. Medium sized, with dark stripes, sometimes covering the whole apple.

EDEN Raised by E. J. Ingelby of Falfield in 1948. A mid to late season, well flavoured dessert apple. Medium sized with bright red stripes on the skin, merging to a continuous red.

ELMORE PIPPIN A very late dessert apple from Elmore, in Gloucestershire, known since the 1920s but older. Probably not fully ripe until December. Round, sometimes slightly conical fruit, medium sized, with green skin, sometimes flushed brown and with prominent pale lenticels all over. Very crisp, slightly sweet and acidic.

GLOUCESTER ROYAL Raised around 1930 at Dursley. Probably a cider sweet. Small to medium fruit, with green and orange skin and sweetish, chewy flesh. Late season, storing to November. Dark flower buds.

GLOUCESTER UNDERLEAF A variety known since 1883. Small to medium-sized fruit with a yellow skin, which is said to be triple purpose, but with slightly dry flesh. The flavour is sweet, and slightly lemony. Mid season, storing to November.

GREEN TWO YEAR OLD Triple purpose, medium sized, late season. Green with a red blush. Hard and sharp flesh. Old variety of unknown age. Long storing.

HAGLOE CRAB Raised by Mr Bellamy before 1796, at Hagloe. Thought to date from the 1720s. A late season cider bittersweet, smallish, with long-stalked fruit with red skin striped and flushed brown, patched with broken russet. Sometimes the skin is dark all over. A chewy apple but really quite pleasant with a sweet and rich flavour, but some bitterness. Storing to January. Dark buds and pink petals.

HUNT’S DUKE OF GLOUCESTER Raised by Dr. Fry of Gloucester and introduced by Thomas Hunt in 1820. Mid season dessert and cider apple, small to medium sized, round and conical, skin golden with light russet, storing to January.

LEMON ROY A large conical, culinary apple, pale green with a red flush. When fully ripe it is a very pleasant eater. Late into leaf.

LODGEMORE NONPAREIL Raised by Mr Cook of Lodgemore, in 1808. A cider and dessert apple, with flesh which is crisp, juicy and sweet. Richly flavoured when fully mature. Late season, storing to December.

LONGNEY RUSSET Dating from 1796, a cider sweet and dessert apple. Medium sized and round, partially or totally covered in russet, sometimes with a red blush. Late season, storing to February.

OLD TANKARD Cider variety, becoming an eating apple at the end of the year, storing to January. Large, irregular and ribbed apples, with green yellow skin.

OVER APPLE Assumed to be from Over, west of Gloucester. Late season, medium to large apples. Sweetish cider apple, flattened round and ribbed with green-yellow skin. Stores to December.

OVERLEAF Cider sharp, mid season, medium sized, green yellow with netted russet. Stores to October. Trees have a weeping habit.

PHELP’S FAVOURITE Triple purpose, dating from the mid 20th century or earlier. Large conical fruit with green skin and red streaks and splashes, sometimes fully red. Crisp and sweet. Late season, storing to December.

PORT WINE KERNEL Sweet dessert apple, medium sized, conical, green skin turning yellow, partly flushed and streaked red.

RED TWO YEAR OLD Triple purpose, medium sized, round with a green skin, flushed dark red. Late season, sharp, becoming milder later. Long storing.

RHEAD’S REINETTE Raised by William Rhead at Elton or Flaxley in late 19th or early 20th century. Late season dessert, medium sized, flat conical, green ripening to yellow with red streaks and patches, and broken russet. Flesh juicy and rich.

SHILLING A dessert apple, known at Dymock in the early 1900s. Medium to large fruit, conical in shape, with pronounced ribbing which ends in an undulating eye basin. Very short, fat stalk. Green skin, striped red and with a red cheek. Crisp, juicy flesh. Mid season. Stores to November. Dark buds.

SIDDINGTON RUSSET Discovered in 1923 at the nursery of John Jefferies and Sons at Siddington, as a sport of Galloway Pippin. Culinary and dessert, medium to large, flattened round, yellow skin with golden russet. Russet sometimes complete and scaly. Late season. Dark buds and blossom.

SPOUT APPLE Found at Tibberton and of uncertain age. A good, medium sized dessert apple, flat and round, yellow skinned, with russet patches at the stalk and prominent dots. Late to ripen, in November, it will store to January. A sweet, crisp, juicy apple with a refreshing flavour.

SUGAR PIPPIN A late season, dessert apple. Small and rounded, with green skin, turning yellow, sometimes with netted russet. In late October or November it is very juicy and sweet. It stores to December and perhaps longer. Rich pink blossom.

TAYNTON CODLIN A triple purpose, medium to large, conical apple with straw yellow skin, sometimes netted with russet and sometimes with a rosy blush. It was found at Griffin’s Farm, Tibberton, before 1954, and is common in Taynton. It is also known locally as Cow Apple. A late season, sharp, culinary apple, lasting to the end of the year. The flesh is firm and fairly dry. It keeps its shape and would be useful for mincemeat and preserves.

TEWKESBURY BARON Dessert, but sometimes used for cider and cooking. Existing before 1883, medium to large with green skin, streaked with deep red, often over lighter continuous red. Mid season, store to October.

TIPPETTS Triple purpose but mainly used for cooking. Probably 19th century or earlier in origin. Large, quite long fruit, irregular in shape, with green skin ripening to pale yellow, sometimes with a warm blush and a few stripes. Late season, storing to January.

TRANSPARENT CODLIN Not the one noted in early literature since this apple is an early season apple, and the older, recorded one is middle/late season. A culinary and dessert apple, medium sized, yellow skinned, ribbed and irregular. Ripe from August onwards though some apples stay on the tree for weeks after. Pretty pale blossom.

UPRIGHT FRENCH Mentioned by Hogg in 1884, it is a cider bittersweet. A small mid- to late season apple, flat, round to tall and conical, with a long stalk. Green, becoming yellow, sometimes with a few stripes. The flesh is juicy and bitter, but sweet and rich. It keeps into December.