Secret Hampshire: On the hunt with the ‘apple detectives’

Many of the cultivars across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have been “surprisingly resilient”, he said.

“Some of the plants we’ve got here have really heavy crops, considering the weather patterns we’ve had, but also their local history, they’ve been bred to suit the soils and suit the climate of the area, so it’s fantastic to preserve them.

“The range of tastes is absolutely superb and a lot of people don’t appreciate the tastes and textures that are available.”

Hampshire heritage varieties include Sir John Thornycroft, bred by Lady Thornycroft in the 1930s and named after her husband.

Bembridge on the Isle of Wight was a “real hot bed of apple breeding”, said Bird, adding that Lady Thornycroft worked closely with her head gardener there, Mr Collister.

“There’s a lovely set from that area,” he said. “Not a Thornycroft one but another one which has actually been in the Guinness Book of Records for having the largest single fruit at one time, which is 2.2lbs.”

The detective work to fill the gaps in the national collection continues, said Bird, with the team still to track down three of Lady Thornycroft’s lost varieties.

“And around the Southampton area, there’s the famous Bassett Beauty, which we’re trying to hunt down.”