The list and information below are the product of a number of years research to locate the indigenous apple varieties of Gloucestershire. All varieties listed here have either been found growing in Gloucestershire, are unrecorded in literature and are thought to be indigenous varieties, or are recorded in literature as Gloucestershire varieties.

For information about which varieties are in the Gloucestershire Collection (currently being established at our Longney Orchards) please contact us.

To return to our Apple Varieties main page click here. 

Status codes and notes on names

  • Not endangered – more than 20 sites currently known
  • Endangered, 10 to 20 sites
  • Critical, 10 sites or fewer

‘French’ is the local expression for bittersweet cider varieties. In Herefordshire, the equivalent term is ‘norman’, in Somerset ‘jersey’.

‘Styre’ is considered a Gloucestershire term from the Anglo Saxon meaning ‘lively’.

IMAGE
(coming soon)		   VARIETY NAME STATUS USES ORIGIN
Ampney Red
A dessert variety from Ampney Crucis where it is well known to older villagers. It hasn’t spread far from its place of origin.		 Critical Dessert Ampney Crucis
Ancell (synonym for Ansell)
Annual Sowings Unknown Unknown Unknown
Ansell 
An old cider variety from the Oldbury-on-Severn district		 Critical Cider Oldbury-on-Severn
Appleridge Pippin Unknown Unknown Unknown
Arlingham Churchyards Unknown Unknown Arlingham
Arlingham Schoolboys 
A general purpose variety from the village of its name. The last tree in Arlingham died in the late 1990’s		 Critical General Arlingham
Aschmead’s Saemling (synonym for Ashmead’s Kernel)
Aschmead’s Seedling (synonym for Ashmead’s Kernel)
Ashmead’s Kernel 
An excellent dessert apple. Gloucestershire’s most famous apple started in 1700 but not recognised much outside the county for nearly 300 years after its birth.		 Not endangered Dessert Gloucester
Ashmead’s Saemling (synonym for Ashmead’s Kernel)
Ashmead’s Samling (synonym for Ashmead’s Kernel)
Ashmead’s Seedling (synonym for Ashmead’s Kernel)
Ballast Apple 
A cider apple from Shepperdine but known from elsewhere in the county.		 Critical Cider Shepperdine
Ballis Apple
(synonym for Ballast Apple)
Barnet’s Beauty 
A dessert variety possibly originating at the `Ring o’Bells’ Inn mentioned in Dickens’s Pickwick Papers.		 Critical Dessert Berkeley Road
Bastard Underleaf Unknown Unknown Arlingham
Bedminster Pippin Unknown Unknown Bristol
Beeche’s Green Unknown Unknown Unknown
Belcher’s Pearmain Unknown Unknown Unknown
Ben Lans 
A curiously named general purpose apple from Minsterworth		 Critical General Minsterworth
Berkeley Pippin 
This once well regarded dessert apple was thought to be extinct until located and rescued for the Gloucestershire Apple Collection.		 Critical Dessert Berkeley
Bill Norman Unknown Unknown Oldbury-on-Severn
Black French Unknown Unknown Unknown
Black Tanker
(synonym for Shepperdine Silt)
Blood Royal 
A general purpose variety from Minsterworth which lives up to its name.		 Critical General Minsterworth
Box Kernel 
A general purpose variety believed to have originated at Box Farm, Awre. It is still well regarded in Awre to-day but hasn’t spread
much from the village.		 Critical General Awre
Brandy Redstreak Unknown Unknown Unknown
Brandy Snap Unknown Unknown Unknown
Brice’s Kernel Unknown Unknown Unknown
Bridge Pippin Unknown Unknown Unknown
Bromley Unknown Unknown Unknown
Bromsberrow Crab Unknown Unknown Unknown
Broomsberrow Crab (synonym for Bromsberrow Crab)
Broomsberry Crab (synonym for Bromsberrow Crab)
Brown French 
A rare bittersweet cider variety from the slopes of May Hill.		 Critical Cider May Hill
Buck’s Kernel Unknown Unknown Unknown
Bullock’s Favourite (synonym for Casey’s Kernel)
Bunch Apple 
A pretty little cider apple which grows in bunches from the Vale of Berkeley. There is also a variety known as Bunch Apple which is a synonym of Jelly, but this is not the same variety.		 Critical Cider Berkeley
Bunch Apple (synonym for Jelly)
Bush Apple Unknown Unknown Unknown
Bushy French 
A rare bittersweet cider variety from Minsterworth.		 Critical Cider Minsterworth
Cabbage Apple Unknown Unknown Unknown
Cambridge Queening 
A general purpose variety from the village of its name south of Gloucester. Queening implies it is angular from the French `coin’		 Critical General Cambridge
Cambridge Quinning (synonym for Cambridge Queening)
Captain Kernel Unknown Unknown Unknown
Captain Nurse (synonym for Captain Kernel)
Carrion Apple (synonym for Kempley Red)
Case’s Kernel (synonym for Casey’s Kernel)
Casey’s Kernel Unknown Unknown Unknown
Chaceley Kernel 
A beautiful dessert apple from the village of its name		 Critical Dessert Chaceley
Chaxhill Red 
A 19th Century general purpose apple from the village of its name. Best known for cider production.		 Not endangered General Chaxhill
Chezley Kernel (synonym for Chaceley Kernel)
Coole’s Seedling Unknown Unknown Unknown
Corse Hill 
Started at Corse Hill Farm in the 19th Century. General purpose but best known for cider. Widely spread in Gloucestershire.		 Not endangered General Corse
Corset Hill (synonym for Corse Hill)
Cosset Hills (synonym for Corse Hill)
Councillor 
An old cider variety from the Berkeley district		 Critical Cider Berkeley
Counsellor (synonym for Councillor)
Cow Apple (synonym for Taynton Codlin)
Crackstalk Unknown Unknown Unknown
Croome Kernel (synonym for Severn Bank)
Dafferton (synonym for Berkeley Pippin)
Dainty Maids Unknown Unknown Unknown
Dent’s Favourite 
A general purpose variety from Minsterworth. Nothing is known of its
history.		 Critical General Minsterworth
Deurnal’s Unknown Unknown Unknown
Deurnal’s Seedling Unknown Unknown Unknown
Dobb’s Kernel Golden Pippin Unknown Unknown Unknown
Doctor Ashmead’s Kernel (synonym for Ashmead’s Kernel)
Dr. Ashmead’s Kernel (synonym for Ashmead’s Kernel)
Drews Pippin Unknown Unknown Unknown
Duni Red (possibly a separate variety) (synonym for Chaxhill Red)
Dymock Red 
A very old vintage cider variety from the village of its name. Also useful for dessert and culinary purposes.		 Not endangered Cider Dymock
Dymock White Bache Unknown Unknown Unknown
Eden 
Started 1948 at Falfield. A dessert variety, it is also known as Fon’s Spring.		 Not endangered Dessert Falfield
Elmore Pippin 
From the village of its name. A dessert variety still to be found in
its home area.		 Critical Dessert Elmore
Elton Orange Unknown Unknown Unknown
Evans’ Kernel 
A general purpose variety found in Ruardean.		 Critical General Ruardean
Fawke’s Kernel 
Started in the 19th Century at Dymock by the Fawke family. Well known in Dymock until recently. General purpose.		 Critical General Dymock
Fletcher 
A cider variety, possible very local to Shepperdine.		 Critical Cider Shepperdine
Flower of the West 
A keeping dessert from Minsterworth where it was well known. Unrecorded outside its area.		 Critical Dessert Minsterworth
Forest Styre Unknown Unknown Unknown
Foxwhelp 
A classic old cider variety whose fame and use has spread into Herefordshire.		 Not endangered Cider Gloucester
French Old Boy Unknown Unknown Unknown
Gilliflower of Gloucester 
Collected in Saul. A beautiful dessert variety of poor quality. Its appeal may just lie in its appearance and name.		 Critical Dessert Saul
Gloucester Quarantine Unknown Unknown Unknown
Gloucester Quoining Unknown Unknown Unknown
Gloucester Royal 
A dessert variety raised at Dursley in about 1930.		 Endangered Dessert Dursley
Gloucestershire Costard 
An old variety. General purpose. There is much argument about the classification of the various costards. `Costard’ comes from the costermongers who would sell these apples.		 Critical General Gloucester
Gloucestershire Underleaf 
A much loved and previously widespread general purpose variety. Curiously in the 1880s it was hardly known.		 Critical General Gloucester
Golden Gloucester Unknown Unknown Unknown
Greasy Pippin Unknown Unknown Unknown
Green Styre Unknown Unknown Unknown
Green Two Year Old 
A general purpose variety so-named because it was reputed to keep a long time – but not 2 years!		 Critical General Minsterworth
Green Underleaf 
One of the family of `underleaves’. General purpose		 Critical General Arlingham
Gypsy Red 
A distinctive bittersharp cider variety from Oldbury-on-Severn.		 Critical Cider Oldbury-on-Severn
Hackett’s Kernel Unknown Unknown Unknown
Hagloe Crab 
A highly regarded vintage cider variety possibly started as early as 1620 in the hamlet of its name near Awre. Years ago its cider could be `exchanged barrel for barrel for spiritous liquor’. Also a good cooking apple.		 Critical Cider Hagloe
Hard Knock 
A general purpose variety from Oxenton. The apple is indeed hard especially when it falls on your head!		 Critical General Oxenton
Hatcher Unknown Unknown Unknown
Hawkins’ Kernel Unknown Unknown Unknown
Haywood Kernel Unknown Unknown Unknown
Heming Unknown Unknown Unknown
Hens’ Turds 
A cider variety from Rodley. How it earned its disparaging name is a mystery.		 Critical Cider Rodley
Holbert’s Victoria Unknown Unknown Unknown
Holbrooke 
A general purpose variety from the Berkeley district.		 Critical General Berkeley
Hunt’s Duke of Gloucester 
An excellent little dessert apple. Said to have been grown from a seed of the old Nonpareil which is now lost.		 Critical Dessert Gloucester
Jackets and Waistcoats Unknown Unknown Ashleworth
Jelly Unknown Unknown Unknown
Jenny Lind 
A dessert variety. Jenny Lind was a famous Swedish opera singer who died locally in 1887.		 Critical Dessert Westbury-on-Severn
Jill Jefferies Unknown Unknown Siddington
Kempley Red Unknown Unknown Unknown
Kenchy Pippin 
A cider variety from Halmore near Berkeley. It was planted to make
cider for the Apple Tree cider house at Halmore.		 Critical Cider Halmore
Kernel Underleaf 
A general purpose variety. Another member of the `underleaf’ family.		 Critical General Longney
Kill-Boys 
An old variety from the Oldbury-on-Severn district. A hard cider variety which was reputed to have killed a boy.		 Critical Cider Oldbury-on-Severn
King Apple 
A general purpose variety from Bollow near Westbury-on-Severn.		 Critical General Westbury-on-Severn
Lady Budget Unknown Culinary Unknown
Lake’s Kernel Unknown Unknown Unknown
Lassington (synonym for Severn Bank)
Layne’s Kernel Unknown Unknown Unknown
Leathercoat 
An ancient general purpose variety mentioned by Shakespeare. The example in the Gloucestershire Apple Collection is no longer believed to be true, so this is now believed to be lost.		 Unknown General Unknown
Leatherjacket (synonym for Leathercoat)
Lemon Pippin of Gloucestershire 
A pleasant eating apple widely known in Gloucestershire.		 Critical Dessert Gloucester
Lemon Roy 
A curiously named general purpose variety from Minsterworth.		 Critical General Minsterworth
Little Herbert Unknown Unknown Unknown
Lodgemore Nonpareil 
A quality dessert apple raised in 1808 by Mr Cook of Lodgemore, Stroud.		 Endangered Dessert Stroud
Longney Russet 
An old general purpose variety from the village of its name. Mentioned in 18th Century literature.		 Critical General Longney
Longstalk 
A local cider variety from both sides of the river at Minsterworth.		 Critical Cider Minsterworth
Maggie Unknown Unknown Unknown
Maiden Blush Unknown Unknown Unknown
Martin’s Kernel 
A dessert variety first recorded in 1953 but believed to be older.		 Endangered Dessert Arlingham
Maurice’s Pippin (synonym for Morris’s Pippin)
Middle Hill Brandy Unknown Unknown Unknown
Mobley’s Sowing Unknown Unknown Unknown
Molly Kernel 
A general purpose variety from Oldbury-on-Severn		 Critical General Oldbury-on-Severn
Morning Pippin Unknown Unknown Unknown
Morris’s Pippin Unknown Unknown Unknown
Netherton Nonsuch Unknown Unknown Unknown
New Bromley Unknown Unknown Unknown
Newpools 
A general purpose variety discovered at Minsterworth. It is prone to producing twin or even triplet apples with one stem and extra eyes.		 Critical General Minsterworth
Nine Square 
A general purpose variety recorded from Gloucestershire in the early 19th Century. Its name refers to its sides which form squares.		 Critical General Halmore
Nine of Diamonds 
A cider variety. Curiously named as it has 10 red spots in the flesh and not 9 as may be expected.		 Critical Cider Halmore
Norman Pippin 
A general purpose variety from the lower Berkeley Vale.		 Critical General Berkeley
Normandy Pippin Unknown Unknown Unknown
Normington Unknown Unknown Unknown
Northland Seedling 
A dessert variety founded at Tetbury before 1930.		 Endangered Dessert Tetbury
Nurse’s Kernel (synonym for Captain Kernel)
Old French Unknown Unknown Unknown
Old Tankard 
A sharp cider variety. There are a number of `Tankard’ apples. This one is believed to be unique to Gloucestershire.		 Critical Cider Unknown
Over Apple 
Cider apple. Assumed to come from Over near Gloucester. Found growing at Minsterworth.		 Critical Cider Over
Overleaf 
Named in contrast to the `underleaf’ varieties. A cider variety only known from the Minsterworth and Westbury-on-Severn area.		 Critical Cider Minsterworth
Overton Red 
General purpose. Found growing in Tirley but may have originated at Overton above Maisemore.		 Critical General Overton
Page’s Yellow Unknown Unknown Unknown
Parlour Door 
General purpose. Found growing in the Apperley area and nearer Gloucester in the past.		 Critical General Apperley
Pear Box 
A curiously named general purpose variety from Oldbury-on-Severn.		 Critical General Oldbury-on-Severn
Pedington Brandy 
A cider variety first recorded in the early 1900s. Found growing near Oldbury-on-Severn.		 Critical Cider Oldbury-on-Severn
Peggy Red (synonym for Dymock Red)
Peggy’s Apple (synonym for Dymock Red)
Persh Apple Unknown Unknown Unknown
Phelps’ Favourite 
A general purpose variety found at Minsterworth. Phelps is a common name in farming circles in Gloucestershire.		 Critical General Minsterworth
Pine Apple Unknown Unknown Unknown
Port Wine Kernel (synonym for Port
Wine Pippin)
Port Wine Pippin 
A beautiful general purpose variety found at Chaxhill.		 Critical General Chaxhill
Pretty Beds 
A local general purpose variety from the Arlingham peninsula. Previously thought to be extinct.		 Critical General Arlingham
Princess Pippin 
A dessert variety. There is much confusion over apples of this name, but this variety is believed to be unique to Gloucestershire.		 Critical Dessert Dymock
Puckrupp Pippin 
A dessert variety which is assumed to have originated at the village of its name.		 Critical Dessert Puckrup
Red Dick Unknown Unknown Unknown
Red French Unknown Unknown Unknown
Red Royal Unknown Unknown Unknown
Red Styre 
A cider variety believed to be from Gloucestershire from the evidence of its name.		 Critical Cider Unknown
Red Two Year Old 
A general purpose variety similar to the Green Two Year Old except for its colour. A very long keeper.		 Critical General Minsterworth
Red Vallis Unknown Unknown Unknown
Reynold’s Kernel 
A general purpose apple which cooks well. Is best known for cider production.		 Critical General Minsterworth
Reynolds’ Crab (synonym for Reynold’s Kernel)
Rhead’s Reinette 
A dessert apple similar to a Cox.		 Critical Dessert Minsterworth
Rock Kernel 
A cider variety from Dymock.		 Critical Cider Dymock
Royal Turk 
A culinary variety from Churchdown		 Critical Culinary Churchdown
Rusty Coat Unknown Unknown Unknown
Samling von Ashmead (synonym for Ashmead’s Kernel)
Selina Pippin Unknown Unknown Unknown
Semis de Aschmead (synonym for Ashmead’s Kernel)
Seven Apostles Unknown Unknown Unknown
Seven Square (synonym for Parlour Door)
Severn Bank 
An old and well known early general purpose variety.		 Endangered General Unknown
Seyanets Ashmida (synonym for Ashmead’s Kernel)
Shatfords Unknown Unknown Unknown
Shepperdine Silt 
A cider variety from Shepperdine.		 Critical Cider Shepperdine
Shilling 
A dessert variety from Dymock. Recorded in the early 1900s.		 Critical Dessert Dymock
 

Shopground Kernel 
A general purpose variety from Minsterworth.

 Critical General Minsterworth
Siddington Russet 
A dessert variety started at Siddington in 1923.		 Endangered Dessert Siddington
Small Styre Unknown Unknown Unknown
Sophie Tuck (synonym for Sophie Turk)
Sophie Turk Unknown Unknown Unknown
Sour Vallis Unknown Unknown Unknown
Spout Apple Unknown Unknown Tibberton
Stantway Kernel 
A general purpose variety from the hamlet of Stantway. It has never moved far from its home area.		 Critical General Stantway
Stirom (synonym for Forest Styre)
Styre Wilding Unknown Unknown Unknown
Sugar Pippin 
A general purpose variety of particular appeal to
children on account of its sweet taste and small size.		 Critical General Walmore
Sweet French Unknown Unknown Unknown
Taynton Codlin 
A general purpose variety from Taynton or Tibberton. Has spread outside its home area.		 Critical General Taynton
Tewkesbury Baron 
A general purpose variety still found growing to the
west of Tewkesbury.		 Critical General Tewkesbury
Tippetts 
General purpose. Sometimes produces `twin’ fruits with a single stem and 2 eyes. Found growing at Tirley.		 Critical General Tirley
Tippler’s Kernel Unknown Unknown Unknown
Transparent Codlin 
An early dessert and cooking apple. There are a number of `Transparent Codlins’ This one appears to be unique to Gloucestershire.		 Critical Unknown Walmore
Upright French 
A well known cider variety from the Gorsley district.		 Critical Cider Gorsley
Upright Styre 
A cider variety believed to have originated in
Gloucestershire.		 Critical Cider Unknown
Vallis 
A distinctively coloured variety from the south of the
county.		 Critical Unknown Oldbury-on-Severn
Welsh Druid 
A general purpose variety from the south of the Forest of Dean.		 Critical General Woolaston
Wheeler’s Extreme Unknown Unknown Unknown
Wheeler’s Russet 
A dessert variety recorded in 1884.		 Endangered Dessert Unknown
White Flanders Unknown Unknown Unknown
White French Unknown Unknown Unknown
White Styre Unknown Unknown Unknown
White Styre (synonym for Wick White Styre)
Wick White Styre 
A well-known cider apple from the Vale of Berkeley		 Unknown Cider Arlingham
Winter Pippin Unknown Unknown Unknown
Winter Russet Unknown Unknown Unknown
Yellow Styre 
An old cider variety from North Gloucestershire		 Unknown Cider Forthampton