Orchards, Trees & Orchard ProduceSome Hertfordshire Fruit
Orchards, Trees & Orchard Produce
Some Hertfordshire Fruit
Dessert Apples
Brownlees’ Russet is ‘a favourite russet for the private gardener’ well-known for its very beautiful blossom, a rich cerise-pink. Introduced by William Brownlees, a nurseryman in Hemel Hempstead in about 1848. Green, russetted with brown-yellow ochre, nutty taste, aromatic. Dawn probably raised by Mr Staward at Ware Park Gardens, exhibited 1940. Fairie Queen, thought to have been raised by Mr Staward at Ware Park Gardens, recorded 1937. Gavin raised by Gavin Brown at the John Innes Institute, Bayfordbury 1956. Golden Reinette is ‘The farmer’s greatest favourite’. A beautiful apple, widely grown around London in the 1850s and ‘reputed to be at its perfection in Hertfordshire’. Hitchin Pippin from Hitchin area 1896. Prince Edward raised at River’s Nursery, Sawbridgeworth 1897. Rivers’ Early Peach raised at River’s Nursery, Sawbridgeworth 1893. Rivers’ Nonesuch raised at River’s Nursery, Sawbridgeworth in the mid 19th century. St Martin’s raised at River’s Nursery, Sawbridgeworth 1896. Voyager raised by Mr King of Barnet 1952. Young’s Pinello raised by Miss Young, Letchworth around 1930s.
Cooking Apples
Bushey Grove raised by Mr Good of Bushey Grove 1926. Crimson New Wonder from Holywell Fruit Farm, introduced in 1921. Hormead Pearmain probably from Great Hormead, recorded in 1826. Lane’s Prince Albert raised by Thomas Squire of Berkhamstead before 1841. Named by nurseryman Henry Lane who introduced the variety, because he planted it out immediately after cheering the Queen and Prince Albert through Berkhamsted in 1841. The original tree was still growing in a garden in the High Street in 1936. New Hawthornden, introduced by River’s Nursery, Sawbridgeworth 1847. Thomas Rivers, a seedling raised at River’s Nursery, Sawbridgeworth 1892. Warners King / Killick’s Apple, sent to River’s Nursery at Sawbridgeworth by Mr Warner but known in late 18th century as the King Apple.
Other Apples
Beauty of Waltham, Edwin Beckett, Winter Hawthornden.
Cherries
Alba Heart, also known in Bucks. Archduke, known as John Parkinson in 1600s, grown for over 100 years at River’s Nursery by 1847. August Heart. Caroon, recorded at Geddeston, 1725. Hertfordshire Black. Ronald’s Heart, also known in Bucks. Smoky Heart. Strawberry Heart grown in King’s Langley area. Turkish Black.
Pears
D’Arenburg, Verulam first recorded 1855, sold by River’s of Sawbridgeworth 1905.
The following pears were raised at River’s Nursery, Sawbridgeworth in the 19th century: Beacon, Conference, named after a conference in 1885, most widely commercially grown pear in Britain. Fertility, dessert variety. Magnate, dessert pear. Parrot, Princess, St Luke, Summer Beurré, very sweet dessert pear.
Plums
The following plums were raised at River’s Nursery, Sawbridgeworth in the 19th century: Admiral, culinary. Archduke, culinary. Autumn Compote, culinary. Bittern, culinary. Blue Prolific. Blue Rock, dual purpose. Curlew, culinary. Czar, named after Czar of Russia who visited Britain in 1874, culinary. Damson Early Rivers, Early Rivers, Early Favourite, Early Transparent Gage, Golden Transparent, dessert. Grand Duke, culinary variety. Heron, culinary. Late Orange, culinary. Late Transparent Gage. Monarch, culinary. Mallard. President, dual purpose. Primate, dual purpose. Stint, culinary. Sultan, culinary. Swan, culinary.
For more information and a list of ‘lost’ varieties of Hertfordshire contact the East of England Apples and Orchard Project on +44(0)1328 838403 or see their web-site.
