Community Orchard - Oaklands Park

Oaklands Park Community Orchard

east of Chichester Festival Theatre, PO19 6AP

(if approaching the theatre from the Northgate car park, head right to find the orchard behind the theatre; if looking at the theatre entrance doors, follow the line of the building around to the left to reach the orchard)

Chichester's first community orchard, of apples, pears and plums and including rare heritage Sussex varieties, was planted in Oaklands Park in 2011 as a result of the volunteer efforts of Transition Chichester and permission from Chichester District Council as landowner. Financial support was provided by the Rotary Club of Chichester, and pupils from Jessie Younghusband School helped to plant the trees. 


Thanks to Transition Chichester, we are able to include the orchard's layout plan below. When planted, the trees were originally labelled using soft metal labels attached to the posts supporting the trees. Now the trees have grown, most of the supports have been removed. There is a noticeboard at the top of the orchard with a plan of the trees, but this is not completely up-to-date. The following plan was prepared in 2020, but may still have a couple of inaccuracies. For example, a new tree was planted somewhere near the middle to replace one which was uprooted in a gale.


Descriptions of the various varieties have been prepared for us by David Wilson. They are listed alphabetically by type, followed by their alpha-numeric references according to the key below. We are grateful for David's time and effort. Click below to jump to the relevant list: 


The purpose of a community orchard is that members of the local community are welcome to take and use the fruit it produces for their personal household use. Surplus produce from the orchard is harvested by Transition Chichester volunteers and donated to local charitable food projects. Windfalls are used to make compost for the Oaklands Park Community Garden.


In 2022, Chichester Festival Theatre created a wildflower meadow in the orchard to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. 


Transition Chichester volunteers also manage the orchard, including holding pruning days where anyone can join in and learn pruning techniques. If you would like to help look after the orchard, please contact Transition Chichester.



Oaklands Park Community Orchard - layout plan

Apples

Alfriston (B1)

Late cooking apple, best picked late October and cooks down to a purée; sharp but loses acidity on keeping. Bright greenish yellow. raised by Mr. Shepherd of Alfriston in late 1700s and originally called Shepherd’s Pippin. It was sent to the RHS for approval by Mr Booker of Alfriston in 1891, and thus acquired its name. The “Fishermen’s Apple”, taken on voyages for its good keeping. Sold commercially up to the 1930s.

Ashmead’s Kernel (G3, G4, G5, H3)

Raised about 1700 by Dr Ashmead of Gloucester, but took over 100 years to become well known. A late dessert apple with firm white flesh. The taste is a blend of sweetness and sharpness with a hint of acid drops. Best picked in October for eating at Christmas. Its undistinguished appearance, green with a russet coat, has told against it commercially. One of the few varieties which grow well in the different climates of Britain and North America.

Bramley’s Seedling (B4, J3, J5)

The classic English cooking apple; best picked mid-October. The French don’t understand the British liking for its tangy sharpness. It cooks to a pale cream and very sharp purée. Greenish yellow with brown flush. Raised from a pip before 1813 by Miss Mary Brailsford when a little girl and planted in the family’s garden in Church Street, Southwell, Nottinghamshire. The cottage with the tree was later bought by Mr. Bramley, a butcher, who sold grafts to a local nurseryman, Mr Merryweather, with the condition that the variety should bear his name. On commercial sale from 1865. The original tree blew down, but a branch rooted, is still fruiting, and celebrated with an annual festival in Southwell.


Return to list of apple varieties.

Charles Ross (B3, B5)

A large and handsome apple with a brownish-pink flush over greenish yellow. Best picked mid-September for cooking to a sweet yellow purée for pies and sauces, but on keeping becomes sweet enough to be used as an eating apple. Raised by Charles Ross, Head Gardener at Welford Park, Newbury, as a cross between Cox’s Orange Pippin and Peasgood Nonsuch some time before 1890.

Crawley Beauty (E3)

A late dessert or cooking apple; cooks to an acid purée at first but better for eating later. Brownish flush and red stripes over greenish yellow base. Found in garden at Tilgate, Crawley ca. 1870 and promoted by local nurseryman Mr. Cheal. It is noted as a late flowerer; blossom opens as late as June and misses any frost.

Duck’s Bill (K4)

A late dessert apple; rich and sweet but chewy. It is ribbed and flat sided, giving rise to its name. Produced by Fred Streeter, Head Gardener at Petworth, 1937; it may be related to an ancient Ducksbill variety recorded in Sussex.


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Eastbourne Pippin (L4)

One of the earliest dessert apples, often ready by the beginning of September. It is yellow and has a sweet taste and soft, creamy flesh. Like many early apples, it does not keep well, and also often splits. Raised by Mr Lindley of Eastbourne in 1930, probably from Newton Pippin seed.

Egremont Russet (B2, F4)

A mid-season dessert apple with distinctive flavour variously described as nutty or smoky. It is yellowish green becoming gold with a brown flush, and russeted all over. Although there are other russets, this is the one familiar to the public. The Egremont family at Petworth claim it as theirs but it first appeared in a catalogue in 1872 published by Mr. J. Scott at Merriott, Somerset.

Falstaff (I4, I5)

A late dessert apple; crisp and juicy with good fruitiness. Red flush and/or stripes. It was raised by Dr. J. Alston in 1965, in a breeding programme at East Malling Research Station, Maidstone. British apples for flavour (here James Grieve) were crossed with American varieties for yield (here Golden Delicious).


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Fiesta (H4, H5)

A mid-season dessert apple with aromatic flavour, similar to Cox but with rather tough skin. In appearance, golden yellow strongly flushed with crimson and red stripes. Like Falstaff, raised in the breeding programme at East Malling Research Station, Maidstone by Dr. J. Alston in 1965; Cox’s Orange Pippin  from Britain for flavour  crossed with Idared  from Idaho for yield.

Hawkridge (I3)

An early dessert apple, ready at the end of August and deserves to be better known. Its boldly red-striped appearance is combined with a taste and texture that is savoury, soft and juicy. Described from Hawkridge Farm, Hellingly, Hailsham in 1875 and became widely grown across Sussex.

Pixie (F5)

A late dessert apple; aromatic and sugary. It is greenish yellow with orange red flush and some russeting, but rather small in size. Raised at RHS Wisley in 1947 and presented at the National Fruit Trials. It may be a Cox’s Orange Pippin cross.


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Red Devil (L5)

A mid-season dessert apple, juicy, with a fruity taste and hint of strawberry. A strikingly red exterior which is promoted by sunlight to the extent that a mask can be used to stencil initials on the apple. Its flesh produces pink juice, too. Raised 1975 by Mr. Ermen of Faversham, Kent, as a cross between Discovery and Kent.

Rosemary Russet (J4, K3)

A late dessert apple, with reddish-brown flush over gold, and the russet (rough coat) in patches. It resembles Ashmead’s Kernel in its taste being a blend of sweetness and sharpness with a hint of acid drops, and may be descended from the same variety, Nonpareil. Introduced 1831 by Mr Ronalds, nurseryman of Brentford.

Saltcote Pippin (A3, A4, A5)

A mid-season dessert apple with aromatic flavour, large and red with quite heavy russeting in patches. It has a flavour like Cox’s Orange, not surprising as both have Ribstone Pippin ancestry, but less intense. Raised by James Hoad at Rye ca. 1918.


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Tinsley Quince (A1, A2)

A mid to late dessert apple; supposed to have quince flavour but often tasting more lemony. Green, turning yellow when fully ripe and often large. Originated in Crawley in 1942. Good for Tarte Tatin, quite sweet, keeping its shape and going well with sweet pastry.

Wadhurst Pippin (K5)

A very late dessert apple, savoury but quite sharp; best treated as cooker early but becomes sweeter on keeping. Yellow to orange in appearance with streaks of crimson, strongly ribbed to the point of looking irregular in shape. Found in Wadhurst ca. 1800.

Pears

Beth (C4, C5)

A very early pear, juicy and sweet, lightly fragrant, pale green turning yellow with variable amounts of russet. It was raised in 1938 by H.M.Tydeman at East Malling Research Station, Kent, as a cross between Beurré Superfin and Williams Bon Chrétien, but not sold commercially until 1983. Even then, considered rather small by growers.

Conference (D5)

An early pear, very juicy and sweet, yellowish green with much russet. Classic long pyriform shape. It is well suited to English conditions, reliable for both heavy crops and good flavour and keeps well, an attraction for supermarkets. For small gardens an advantage is that it can be self-pollinated. Raised by Thomas Rivers of Sawbridgeworth, Herts in 1885, from the variety Leon Leclerc. It was first planted commercially near Maidstone in 1895.

Doyenné du Comice (E5)

An early pear, often large and bulbous, excellent luscious flavour with hint of lemon, green becoming yellow with some russet. So juicy that some recommend it should be eaten in the bath with a friend! Raised at Comice Horticole, Angers, France in 1849, as a joint project between the head gardener D’Homme and Millet de la Turtaudiere, President of the Comice Horticole. It was introduced into the U.K. by Sir Thomas Acland in 1858. Marketed in the US as Royal Riviera. ‘Doyenné’ means ‘well flavoured’.


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Plums

Santa Rosa (E4)

This is originally a Japanese species of plum, improved by the American horticultural ‘wizard’, Luther Burbank before 1906 by crossing it with European species. He did this at his home in Santa Rosa in California, now designated a ‘National Landmark’, It is large, purple, thin-skinned with yellow flesh, juicy with something of a tang. Used in Japan to make ‘blush wine’, a type of sweet rosé. For home growing it bears fruit quickly, can be self-pollinated but needs plenty of sun to ripen. This variety keeps its shape well when cooking but the flesh adheres strongly to the stone.

Victoria (D4)

This is the classic English plum, ready in September, a greenish-yellow exterior overlain with purple, with sweet yellow flesh separating from the stone. The tree is hardy, self-fertile and generally free from disease. It bears heavy crops and should be thinned. Accounts of its origin state that it was a chance discovery in a garden in ‘Alderton, Sussex’ which does not exist. It could be from Alderton, Suffolk or Walderton, Sussex? Take your pick! It was almost certainly named for Queen Victoria, by nurseryman Mr. Denyer of Brixton, who promoted it as Denyer’s Victoria from 1837 when Victoria was crowned - previously it had been called Sharp’s Emperor.

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