Now that we have finished the preparitory work for the Speckled Wood orchard we are looking for fruit tree sponsors.

A well managed traditional orchard is a fantastic sight, full of wildlife as well as holding the promise of all sorts of culinary delights. At blossom time in the spring when the sun is shining they can really lift your mood. The orchard we planted a few years back behind Haslemere High Street is really starting to come into its own and now we want to add to it with a second orchard at the basecamp.

We have often planted memorial tree’s for a standard charge on Black Down over the years, and now thought that the orchard might be a positive way of helping to raise funds for the Speckled Wood building. We have covered the costs of the orchard through staff and volunteer time and by using materials produced here on the Black Down Estate. We can therefore offer the oppotunity to sponsor a tree and promise that all of the money raised will go straight to the Speckled Wood building project. We are asking for £250 per tree and for that will be putting sponsors names on the tree labels and will show sponsors their tree so they can come and visit it and sample some of its fruit in the future.

If you have sufficient means and are interested please contact us at Swan Barn Farm on the office phone number, 01428 652359. But, if you can’t afford a tree its still worth having a look at the list of varieties below that will be going in, we are lucky to have a wealth of fruit tree heritage in this country and we have picked out a mix of interesting traditional and modern varieties.

Apple, Bountiful Raised in East Maling Research Station in 1964. A reliable cropper. The very attractive fruit keeps its shaps when cooked – soft, light, sweet and juicy. SPONSORED

Apple, Cornish Gilliflower Found in a cottage garden near Truro, Cornwall in 1813. High quality dessert variety with an unusual irregular shape. A vigorous variety that tends to be a tip bearer. SPONSORED

Apple, Court Pendu Plat One of the oldest known varieties in the world, originating in Roman times, this has a long list of virtues – the fruit is very crisp with a lovelly slightly acidic flavour and is bourne freely. It is very frost tollerent and growth is compact. SPONSORED

Apple, Fiesta Originated in Kent in 1986, a cross between Cox’s and Idared. Ready for picking late September / early October. Medium to large fruit, pale yellow with red flush. The flesh is firm, crisp and juicy. Free flowering and a heavy cropper

Apple, Forge Believed to have originated at Forge Farm near East Grinstead in Sussex. An early cooker which reduces to a soft lemon coloured puree, makes superb apple sauce. Also used as a cider apple. SPONSORED

Apple, George Carpenter Raised in 1902 at West Hall Gardens, Byfleet, Surrey. This Blenhiem Orange cross has a lovely aromatic flavour, similar to Ribston Pippin. Large handsome fruit. SPONSORED

Apple, Greensleeves Raised in Kent in 1966, the fruit of this mid season dessert apple is crunchy and sweet with a nice tangy bite. Very hardy and crops heavily. Bears good fruit when young and is a good polinator of other varieties. SPONSORED

Apple, Isaac Newton’s Tree The original tree was in Isaac Newton’s garden at Woolsthorpe Manor in Lincolnshire, under which “the notion of gravity came into his mind occasioned by the falling of an apple.” It was propogated before its eventual death in 1814, over the years propogation has kept the variety alive and this is a direct decendant of the original. It produces an “ugly” looking cooking apple which is shy to crop, but cooks to a delicately flavoured puree. SPONSORED

Apple, Jester An attractive apple of bright red on yellow. It has a refreshing juicy texture with good flavour. The tree bears fruit young and is a heavy cropper. Raised in Kent in 1981 with Worcester Pearmain as one of its parents.

Apple, Joaneting As early as the 1600’s this was always the variety which marked the start of the apple season. It can be picked as early as late July. Small green / yellow fruit which have a lovely crisp bite to them eaten straight from the tree. SPONSORED

Apple, Manningtons Pearmain Arose in about 1770 in a patch of cider pommace thrown under the hedge of a Blacksmith’s in Uckfield, Sussex. In 1874 Mannington’s grandson sent the fruit to the London Horticultural Society. Its rich, aromatic, slightly nutty flavour was highly prized by the victorians. A heavy cropper which stores well. SPONSORED

Apple, Orleans Rainette Thought to have originated in France in the 1770’s, this late dessert apple is one of the finest flavoured russets available. A heady mix of sweet oranges and a deep nutty flavour. Incredibly juicy, they store well. Cropping may be irregular, but the fruit is first class. SPONSORED

Apple, Red Falstaff A richly coloured apple bred at the East Maling Research Station in Kent in 1965. Fruity, well balanced, crisp and juicy, this shows all of the attributes of its parents, James Grieve and Golden Delicious.

Apple, Tremlett’s Bitter Traditional bittersweet cider variety from Devon. Produces large crops of deep red conical fruit. Produces a sweet, full bodied juice with high levels of tannin. Blossom is frost resistant. SPONSORED

Apple, Winter Gem Raised by amatuer breeder Hugh Ermen in his back garden in Faversham, Kent in 1996, this is a high quality late dessert apple with a strong crisp and juicy flesh. It has excellent keeping qualities. Very attractive pink flushed fruit.

Pear, Concorde A cross between Conference and Doyenne de Cornice raised in East Maling in 1977 which has met with widespread aclaim. Heavy crops of pale yellow russeted fruit with a lovely sweet buttery flavour that melts in the mouth. Makes a compact tree.

Plum, Blue Tit A well flavoured blue plum, awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit in 1995. Sweet and Juicy and a consistant cropper.

Plum, Mirrabelle de Nancy Said to have come from the East to France in the 1400’s, sweet, yellow, small round fruit which make delicious jam.

Many thanks to the Brogdale Trust (the National Fruit Tree collection) for the above descriptions who provide our tree’s.