RARE varieties of apple first grown in Herefordshire have returned to the county as part of a bid to protect some of Britain's most endangered breeds.

More than 1,000 varieties of apple, with names such as Northern Spy, Ducksbill, Herefordshire Quining and Bloody Ploughman's, have been planted at the Tillington Fruit Farm.

The trees come from cuttings taken from the National Fruit Collection, which is based at Brogdale, in Kent.

William Barnett, who is in charge of the Co-operative farm at Tillington, said the apples were coming home.

"Some of them were developed in Herefordshire in the 1800s, such as Tillington Court," he said.

"It all started three years ago when Jane Garrett, the chief executive of the Brogdale Trust, decided to reproduce part of the collection.

"When the National Collection was due to change hands it was decided to sell the copies as this would give the collection the best chance of survival.

"The Co-op bought one, which is coming here, the Duchy of Cornwall bought one, and one went to a private businessman in Scotland.

"They apples all failed as commercial varieties because they are hard to crop, soft and because tastes change, so individually they are not going to succeed this time.

"That's when the Thousand Apple Juice came into existence. We will use 100% of this orchard and blend it into a juice.

"We will have a trial this year and enough for 10,000 bottles from next year's crop, which will be sold in Co-op stores.

"Most apples juices are made from a blend so we are doing nothing different other than the fact we are using these old varieties."

The Prince of Wales is thought to be planning to plant his collection at the Duchy Home Farm, in Gloucestershire.

l The future of an historic collection of cider apple trees in Bartestree looks to have been assured.

Henry May, the owner of Tidnor Wood Orchard, has formed a Community Interest Company (CIC) along with some supporters.

A CIC is a new type of legal structure appropriate for ventures which are not quite charities or commercial enterprises.

David Hartwell, of Hereford-based Gordon Lutton Solicitors, said: "The use of a CIC in this way is a legal step forward.

"Professional company formation agents doubted whether the authorities would accept that a cider apple orchard was capable of meeting the criteria for CIC status, but Henry May put forward a radical application which was accepted without any problem.

"This precedent may be important for other people in similar semi-commercial types of activity."