A Unique Welsh Heritage Orchard at Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth

A Unique Welsh Heritage Orchard at Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth The Welsh Heritage cider and perry orchard at Plas Gogerddan was established by National Lottery Funding in 2016.

It was planted from one year old whips propagated in Hereford in March 2018 along with some classic cider apple and perry pear varieties.

Poppit Persawrus adorning its tree
26/08/2026

Poppit Persawrus adorning its tree

This is one of the most exciting trees in the orchard. Even though it was primarily a genetic resource for c***r apples ...
26/08/2026

This is one of the most exciting trees in the orchard. Even though it was primarily a genetic resource for c***r apples and perry pears in Wales and it remains to this day the most comprehensive collection available to date, there are a few added extras. I’ve always thought any seedling will be nothing like its parents due to genetic segregation. But I’ve seen many examples of REALLY GOOD SEEDLINGS. Don’t believe in the hype. A good breeder needs a good eye and there are many examples of great apple varieties that are simply chance seedlings! Discovery is one of the most popular English early apples. The apple here is Poppit Persawarus (fragrant) it is clear from morphology but confirmed by DNA profiling that this apple is a seedling of Discovery. It comes from the collection growing profusely at Poppit Sands near Cardigan. It's a nice-shaped fairly vigorous tree and it yields extremely well and consistent. It's definitely one to look out for. it's yellow-green with patches of dark red pigment where the sun has caught it. It's acidic/sweet and fresh. I've eaten two today! The collectors said from the Welsh Heritage project '"yellow with blemishes with red blush we suspect this is the bubblegum one, very nice dessert apple sweet and tasty not quite ripe." I'd tend to agree with them although these are just right for picking. Discovery, with imagination has the bubblegum flavour. I love this tree!
Description from the Register of Local Cultivars:

Classic Spartan and the genuine hybrid, Swn y Mor. note the similarity: it has the slight under colour green and the dus...
23/08/2026

Classic Spartan and the genuine hybrid, Swn y Mor. note the similarity: it has the slight under colour green and the dusky red coloration. it's hard to believe Swn y Mor has only 50% of its genetic make-up originating from Spartan. It is so sweet!

A couple of bags of Swn y Mor and Red Falstaff (hybrid between James Grieve and Golden Delicious)
22/08/2026

A couple of bags of Swn y Mor and Red Falstaff (hybrid between James Grieve and Golden Delicious)

Dessert apples harvested yesterday! Two of the seedlings established on Poppit Sands (near Cardigan): Poppit Persawrus (...
22/08/2026

Dessert apples harvested yesterday! Two of the seedlings established on Poppit Sands (near Cardigan): Poppit Persawrus (fragrant) is a hybrid between an unknown pollen partner and Worcester Pearmain apple. Poppit Swn y Mor (sound of the sea) is an unknown pollen partner and a Spartan apple. Both nice apples. Swn y Mor is susceptible to a bitter pit but is very sweet. Both apples have a red over colour of Spartan and Worcester Pearmain.

it's almost got a peachy look to its skin ;)
22/08/2026

it's almost got a peachy look to its skin ;)

These were harvested from the orchard today fresh as fresh can be. They are fruit from the famous Afal Enlli, Bardsey ap...
19/08/2026

These were harvested from the orchard today fresh as fresh can be. They are fruit from the famous Afal Enlli, Bardsey apple tree. By DNA profiling, it is clear that they are seedlings from an apple core of the old Worcester Pearmain variety. They have that Pearmain shape and produce red streaking on the sunny side of the tree..the classic feature is a band of pale green that often runs from the top to the bottom of the red streaking. Eat them as soon as possible as they tend to go waxy/greasy

Apples from the Welsh heritage variety Brithmawr - large and speckled. It was planted in Aberystwyth University’s Gogerd...
09/08/2026

Apples from the Welsh heritage variety Brithmawr - large and speckled. It was planted in Aberystwyth University’s Gogerddan orchard, it’s from near Newport South Wales and is a cooker but is also known as dual purpose variety as it sweetens with storage. These are the first fruits of a grafted tree produced during a super productive whip and tongue grafting course held a couple of years ago at IBERS.

Bud grafting of apple trees is a really nice way to propagate apple trees. It's the way most commercial growers do it wi...
08/08/2026

Bud grafting of apple trees is a really nice way to propagate apple trees. It's the way most commercial growers do it with a rapid turnover. it's beautiful weather here too in the UK, so what's not to like.

Well, I had nothing better to do than do than three bud grafts. I’ll let you know how they take in the Spring! They’ve b...
08/08/2026

Well, I had nothing better to do than do than three bud grafts. I’ll let you know how they take in the Spring! They’ve been done on a failed whip and tongue on MM106. Note the developing burr knots (roots) on the stem that make them easy to propagate in soil unlike most apple varieties.

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Aberystwyth University
Aberystwyth
SY233EE

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