An important collection of rare Devon apple trees
Totnes has a mature community orchard planted more than 25 years ago in Colwell Wood by the Woodland Trust, which has many heavy-cropping fruit trees. Incredible Edible volunteers have helped to prune, tend and harvest this orchard over the last 3-4 years, and have hosted community apple pressing events.
This orchard of 50 selected Devon fruit trees was established in 1998, including many rare varieties, including a unique variety called the ‘Colwell Bellchambers’, named after a local individual key to the establishment of the woodland. Although predominately apple, varieties of pear, plum, cherry, damson, medlar and mulberry were also planted. A number of the trees are grafted from trees planted in an 1880s orchard at ‘Druid’, a country house north of the town of Ashburton.
The fruit planting scheme also included the following varieties; Sally Sherry’s Apple, The Rattler, Druid (Multiple), Ladies Fingle, Totnes Apple (1999), Quince, Mazzard (Devon Cherry), Mulberry, Pear Apple, Catshead, Devonshire Crimson Queen, Plympton Pippin, Leathercoat Russet, Ironside, Reynolds Peach, Dittisham Plum, Mannaccan Primrose, Miel D’or, Queens, Walnut, Devonshire Quarrenden, Longcause Damson, Mount Pleasant Pear, Colwell Wood Apple, Yarner Beacon Yellow Plum, Yarner Beacon Purple Plum, Medlar, Harragan Payne, Mazzard Small Black Maiden, Wild Cherry. A DNA analysis by Orchard Link in 2020 revealed the presence of Vajki Alma, Bridstow Wasp and two varieties of Bramley.
The site offers an opportunity for local people to manage and gather fruit from an orchard filled with diverse and rare local varieties.
Within the context of the historically declined number of diverse, small-scale orchards in the South Hams containing rare local varieties, Colwell Wood is an important cultural, historical and genetic resource in the effort to conserve and restore local orchards.
