Welsh apples facts for kids
Welsh apples are special types of apples that have grown in Wales for a very long time. In 1858, a journal called The Cambrian Journal listed about 200 different Welsh apple names. Most of these came from the Monmouth area.
In 1999, a single apple tree was found by Ian Sturrock on Bardsey Island. This island is located at the end of the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales. Because it was so unique and in such a wild place, the news called it "The rarest tree in the world." This news helped people become interested in Welsh apple types again.
The old, twisted tree grows next to a place called Plas Bach. People believe it's the only tree left from an orchard grown by monks a thousand years ago. In 1998, apple experts at the National Fruit Collection in Brogdale said this tree was a new type of apple never seen before. They named it the Bardsey Apple (Welsh: Afal Enlli). Since then, new trees have been grown from it using a method called grafting, and you can now buy them.
The National Botanic Garden of Wales in Llanarthney, Carmarthenshire, is planting a collection of Welsh apple varieties. They hope to publish a book about Welsh fruits soon. This book will include over 50 types of apples with Welsh connections.
Today, you can buy several dozen different Welsh apple types. There's even a Welsh Perry and Cider Society. Many farms grow Welsh varieties, and some schools and community groups have small orchards too.
Lost Welsh Apple Varieties
Some Welsh apple types from the past have now disappeared. The list from the 1858 Cambrian Journal includes these varieties:
- Afal Basst
- Afal Gwdyr
- Afal Illtud
- Afal Madog
- Blas Y Cwrw
- Cydodyn
- Pippin Bach Llydan
- Pippin Dulas
- Rhobin
Sadly, there are no other records of these apple types in later documents.
Recently, a two-year study helped find, record, and save new apple and pear types in Wales. Researchers discovered 73 new varieties of Welsh cider apples and perry pears. This means the total number of native Welsh varieties is now 101. The University of South Wales and the Welsh Perry & Cider Society worked together on this study.
Current Welsh Apple Varieties
Here is a list of some Welsh apple types that are still grown today:
| Welsh name | English name | Origin | First Developed | Comment | Season & use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trwyn Mochyn | Anglesey pig snout | Anglesey | 1600s | Large, green, and tangy. | Good for late cooking. |
| Croen Mochyn | Pig Snout | Anglesey | 1850 | Brown, gold, or red skin with a rough feel. Has a smoky, strong taste. | Good for eating in the middle of the season. |
| Cox Cymraeg | Welsh cox | Goetre Bach | unknown | Red skin with a rough feel. Tastes like a Cox apple. | Good for eating in the middle of the season. |
| Pig Aderyn | Bird's beak | St. Dogmaels | Norman era | Juicy green with scarlet stripes. Has a cider-like tang. | Good for early eating and making cider. |
| Afal Diamond | Diamond Apple | Dyffryn Ardudwy | 1825 | Said to be from a shipwreck called The Diamond. Crimson red with green. Sweet but with a wine-like tartness. | Good for early eating. |
| - | St. Cecilia | Bassaleg | 1900 | Shiny red and green. Tastes like a Cox apple. Grows a lot of fruit. Won an award. | Good for late eating. |
| Afal Nant Gwrtheyrn | - | Llŷn peninsula | unknown | A small apple with a rough skin. Tastes a bit like fennel. | Good for eating in the middle of the season. |
| Afal Enlli | Bardsey Island Apple | Bardsey Island | Discovered 1999 | Crunchy, sweet, and juicy. Bright red and yellow. Very good at resisting diseases. | Good for early eating. |
| Pig y golomen | Pigeon's beak | Pembroke | Pre 1900 | Bright green, round, and good for cooking. | Good for cooking in the middle of the season. |
| Gwell na mill | seek no further | Monmouth | 17th century | Nutty and smells nice. Was used for medicine. Keeps its shape when cooked. Can make a special cider. | Good for eating, cooking, and cider in the middle of the season. |
| Machen | Machen | Caerphilly | 19th century | Very large and bright red. | Good for cooking and eating in the middle of the season. |
| Marged Nicolas | - | Dinefwr | 19th century | Large yellow apple with a rough skin. | Good for eating and cider in the middle of the season. |
| Brith Mawr | - | Newport | Unknown | Striped yellow and red. Juicy. | Good for eating, cooking, and cider late in the season. |
| - | Baker's delicious | South Wales | 1920 | Its original Welsh name is lost. Sweet and very juicy. | Good for early eating. |
| Cadwaladr | - | Brecon | Unknown | Bright red. Has a bittersweet juice. | Good for cider in the middle of the season. |
| Gwŷr | Channel Beauty | Swansea | 1920 | Savoury taste. Crisp and juicy with a smell like a Cox apple. | Good for early eating. |
| Afal Siampen | Champagne apple | Bont-Newydd | Unknown | Bright red and juicy. Stays fresh until November. We don't know why it's called Champagne apple. | Good for early eating. |
| - | Morgan Sweet | South Wales | 18th century | A large green or yellow apple for eating in September. Makes a famous sweet cider. Coal miners used to take them underground. | Good for early eating and cider. |
| Llwyd Hanner Goch | Leather coat (?) | South Wales | 16th Century | A very late apple with a rough skin. Has a complex taste. | Good for late eating. |
| - | Monmouth beauty, Tamplin or Cissy | Malpas, Newport | 1750 | Reddish, with a rich smell and texture. | Good for eating in the middle of the season. |
| - | Rhyl beauty or Kenneth | Rhyl | 1920 | A new type grown from a Cox apple. | Good for late eating. |
| Tin yr gwydd | Goose's arse | Dyfed | 19th century | Bright green and tangy, but needs little sugar when cooked. Named after its shape, not its taste! | Good for early cooking. |
| Perthyre | - | Monmouth | Pre 1910 | Mild bittersweet juice. Cooked fruit tastes like a pear. | Good for late cider and cooking. |
