reclaiming LANCASHIRE'S OLD FRUIT VARIETIES
Help us on our quest to re-introduce our region’s heritage varieties of apple and pear to the fridges and dishes of Lancashire so their unique taste can be enjoyed for generations to come.
We need your help...
The problem
From the 1700s until the advent of supermarkets in the 1950s, the area around Leyland, Croston and Eccleston was once one of the largest fruit producing areas of northern England and was often referred to as the ‘Evesham of the North’ due to its abundance of orchards.
Sadly, now, the vast majority have now been ripped up and lost, along with many of our local varieties which were native to this area.
The Research
An extensive survey by the Northern Fruit Group in 2003 across much of northern England helped identify a wide range of unique apple and pear varieties in our area, including two pear types at Cocker Bar Orchard.
However, this survey 20 years ago only looked at the larger orchards across the north of England, and we strongly believe that many more of our region’s old varieties remain undiscovered in the corner of old farmyards, along paths and even in your own garden across central Lancashire.
The solution
We need YOUR help to reverse this decline. By telling us about old fruit trees in this area (Leyland, Croston and Eccleston) in the contact box below, we can help identify, graft and preserve these old fruit types within Cocker Bar Orchard, ensuring they are enjoyed by the county’s habitants for generations to come.
The best part? It appears that the main edge of Lancashire’s apples and pears, is their quality, rather than quantity. Although smaller in size and yield, the region’s rainfall has contributed to a juicier and, in our humble (unbiased!) opinion, tastier fruit!
