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Steyning Community Orchard - July 2019

One of the main objectives of the Steyning Community Orchard is to plant Sussex heritage apple varieties, to both help preserve them, but also to use them to tell the story of fruit growing in this area.

Since October 2014 we have planted 12 Sussex variety apple trees in the central section of the Community Orchard on the Memorial Playing Field. (We have also planted plums, pears, greengage, quince and many other apple varieties). All 12 trees are grafted onto very vigorous rootstocks, and hopefully grow into tall and widely spreading trees. Modern commercial apple trees have a lifespan of about 20 years; hopefully ours will still be in their prime in 100 year’s time.

They have fascinating names too. They are usually named after the grower, a description of the fruit, or the place it was found. Our varieties are Golden Pippin, Bossom, Knobby Russet, Egremont Russet, Duck’s Bill, Dr Hogg, Sussex Mother, Sussex Forge, Hawkridge, Alfriston, Mannington’s Pearmain and First and Last. We have described the first 10 of these varieties in earlier Your Steyning articles. Here is a little more information about the last two we have planted.

Mannington’s Pearmain
Mr.Turley, a blacksmith of Uckfield, found the original tree growing from some cider pressings in a hedge around 1770. His grandson, John Mannington, sent it to the London Horticultural Society in 1847, after which it became a popular desert apple. The apple is crisp, juicy, with a richly flavoured flesh. It carries heavy crops that ripen in October and will store until January.

Mannington’s Pearmain is now a relatively rare Sussex apple.
Robert Hogg a famous Victorian fruit grower and writer wrote in 1884: Mr. Mannington, whose acquaintance I made in 1846, was a man of singular intelligence on many subjects, and was an enthusiastic pomologist. He raised many varieties of fruits, especially pears, some of which are of great excellence. He was an unwearying correspondent, and up to within a few months of his death I was favoured with his views in respect to pomological matters. He died at Uckfield on the 19th September 1880, aged 93 years, and one of his last letters to me finished thus 'Written without spectacles.'

First and Last
First and Last is an apple from Horsham, first identified in 1880. A cooking apple first, then an eater as it ripens in late Autumn. Can be stored up to the following May – hence the name ‘First and Last’.
The skin is deep crimson mottled with a yellow background. It has rich flavour hinting of pineapple. Popular in the late 1800’s where it was described in a National Fruit catalogue as 'A Sussex apple, much grown in the northern part of the county, about Horsham, and sent to Brighton market.'
Full details of all the fruit trees we have planted can be found on our W: steyningcommunityorchard.org

Important Date for your Diary.
Apple Day 2019 will be on Sunday 22nd September.
But we are changing location this year. The Memorial Playing Field, though the location of our main orchard, is a difficult place to hold events as there is limited access, and has no power, water supply or toilets.

So we have decided to move to Fletcher’s Croft field (St Cuthman’s Field), opposite the Church, where access is easier and there is plenty of parking (free on a Sunday). There is also water and power supply on site, and toilets close by. The Riverside Brewery are already booked to run the cider and real ale bar for us. We’ll also have live bands, apple pressing, tastings and displays, children’s activities and lots of refreshments and (mostly) appley food.

Lots more details in the September issue of Your Steyning.

More information about us and our Orchards:
E: Steyningorchard@gmail.com
Fbook for the latest updates and news:
facebook.com/Steyningcommunityorchard
W: steyningcommunityorchard.org
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