The Gravetye Bramley: a new chapter in apple heritage
Gravetye Manor, the Elizabethan Manor House Hotel near East Grinstead, welcomed a very special addition to its historic gardens today, with the planting of a young sapling taken from the original Bramley apple tree, to celebrate 170 years since its first cuttings were propagated.
The Bramley apple, an iconic cooking variety of British orchards, traces its origins to a single ‘mother tree’ in Southwell, Nottingham that is still thriving today at over 220 years old.
The discovery of this tree by one of the UK’s most renowned fruit sellers at the time, Henry Merryweather, led to the propagation of Bramley apples across the country, cementing its place as an influential variety in British apple history.
Once home to Victorian garden writer and horticulturist, William Robinson, the gardens have held historical significance for centuries, serving as an apt choice of location by the Bramley Apple Society for today's event. The gardens were not only bountiful in Robinson’s time, but also during the Second World War, providing fresh produce in rationed times for soldiers stationed at the 1000 acre estate. Falling into disrepair during the post war years, Head Gardener Tom Coward has spent the last decade reviving and restoring the 35 acres of formal gardens to their former glory, with the land now growing significant amounts of produce for the hotel's Michelin star kitchen and restaurant.
This morning’s planting was carried out by Thomas Steven, Henry Merryweather’s second great-grandson, artist and fund founder Dan Llywelyn Hall, accompanied by Gravetye Manor gardeners Robin Flower, Georgia Palmer and Head Gardener, Tom Coward.
Dan Llywelyn Hall commented, “It’s fitting that one of the offspring from the world’s most famous apple will become part of Gravetye Manor’s rich heritage.”
Head Gardener, Tom Coward added, “It is a great honour for us to be part of the heritage of this wonderful apple, and we will have great pleasure growing it in our orchard and watching it grow into a magnificent tree.”