Hereford cider orchard gets National Plant Collection status

The heritage orchard, part of the Museum of Cider’s holdings in Breinton, west of Hereford, has been recognised by Plant Heritage as a National Plant Collection for Malus cider apple trees.

The orchard is home to traditional cider apple varieties from the West Midlands and South West.

Dr David Marshall, Chairman of the Trustees of the Museum of Cider, said: "Receiving National Plant Collection status is thanks to many years of care by John Teiser and the Museum of Cider’s orchard team, led by trustee Chris Fairs, and the vision of Gillian Bulmer.

"It’s a major achievement for Herefordshire and reflects its important cider heritage."

The late Gillian Bulmer championed the orchard as a gene bank for overlooked varieties that have fallen out of favour due to changing tastes and modern farming practices.

The collection has been curated over 20 years through the efforts of John Teiser, the museum’s volunteer conservator of fruit, along with Rob Uren and Ms Bulmer’s nephew, Tim Bulmer.

The team has grafted and maintained trees sourced from across Herefordshire and neighbouring regions.

Each variety is now being genetically tested to verify its identity and provenance.

Dr Tim Upson, chair of the Plants Collections Committee, Plant Heritage and director of gardens and horticulture at the RHS, said: "The diversity of apples in the UK is unsurpassed with wonderful regional varieties strongly linked to local culture and history.

"Conserving this unique plant diversity through well-managed and curated collections is vital to ensure this heritage is available to benefit future generations.

"This collection of cider apple trees, now a fully approved Plant Heritage National Plant Collection, makes a key and important contribution to conserving the UK's cultivated plants and apples in particular."

The Museum of Cider orchard continues to grow, with John Teiser and colleagues actively seeking out overlooked old cider apple trees in the Herefordshire area.