The Green Patch is a Groundwork Northants project. Find out more about Groundwork

The Green Patch

Heritage Apples Project

Grey Lindley (Manager)

150 weeks ago

Heritage apples tree planting March, 2021 with High Sheriff Paul Parsons, the Mayor of Kettering James Burton

In 2020 we dreamed up the idea of making the Green Patch a repository for rare varieties of apples and so the Green Patch Heritage Apples (and pears, and plum) Project was begun!

There are over 2500 unique Apple varieties in the United Kingdom. In Northants and surrounding counties, there are approximately 38 varieties of unique top fruits. We are hoping to collect at least one of each of these, grow and tend to them on smaller sized rootstocks. In the future we might be able to become a source of scions for other growers and start our own grafting program. With the help of volunteers we may be able to create a little plant nursery with trees for sale.

On 19th March, 2021 we were pleased to host the High Sheriff Paul Parsons, the Mayor of Kettering James Burton, and local Councillor Anne Lee for an apple tree planting event.
With their plantings our project was officially launched!

Here's a partial list of local varieties we are aspiring to collect and grow at the Green Patch. Ones in bold we have had success in aquiring:
* Planted by the High Sheriff
** Planted by the Mayor

APPLES
Anyho's Scarlett
Barnack Beauty
Thorpe's Peach **
Golden Bromham
Byfield Beauty
Lord Burghley
Brown's Seedling
American Wothorpe Prolific
Andrew's Invincible
Arnold's Wothorpe Prolific
Cooper's Ambition
Dalton's Exquisite
Duke of Glo'ster
Duncombe's Seedling
Gossing's Codlin
Pat's Seedling
Pride of Easton
Richard Gilbert
Rowell's Captain
Rowell's Lieutenant
Rowell's Middy
Sell's Bainton Seedling
Sell's Prolific
St Mary’s Street
Stamford Pride
Stamford Pippin *
The Butcher
The March Queen
The Parcel Post
The Post Office
The Woodman


PEARS
Brackley Grapeshot
Cranford

PLUM
Flore Plum

If you know any other varieties you think we should try and get, or you know of someone we could get in touch with to find more plants or scions, please let us know!.

EDIT (16.02.2022): We’ve since discovered most of the varieties on our list of local varieties above are lost to time and history! We’ll still be searching for them and trying to ID species in old orchards in our area, but are now expanding our collection to other coveted varieties.