The Hangdown, also known as Hangydown, Horner, or the Pocket Apple,
[''Annual Report of the Long Ashton Research Station'', 1965, p.61] is a traditional variety of
cider apple grown mostly in
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
and
North Devon
North Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. North Devon Council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth ...
.
[Copas, L. ''Somerset Pomona: The Cider Apples of Somerset'', Dovecote Press, 2001, p.40]
Description
A small to medium-sized, yellow-skinned apple of round or slightly cylindrical shape,
Hangdown is most easily identified by the tree's habit, which is compact, with twiggy branches that droop heavily when in full fruit.
Its origin is unknown, but it was possibly first grown in the
Glastonbury
Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury ...
area of Somerset.
[Morgan and Richards, ''The New Book of Apples'', Ebury, 2002, p.283] It was also widely grown in Devon, where it was often given the name "Pocket Apple".
In the classification of cider apples the Hangdown is referred to as a (mild) bittersweet type,
and is considered to be a 'vintage' variety, i.e. capable of making single-varietal cider. It is
scab-susceptible.
Although Hangdown is rarely present in modern commercial orchards, it was once one of the varieties recommended by the
Long Ashton Research Station
Long Ashton Research Station (LARS) was an agricultural and horticultural government-funded research centre located in the village of Long Ashton near Bristol, UK. It was created in 1903 to study and improve the West Country cider industry and be ...
for cidermaking, and is still present in 'trial' orchards outside its native area.
There are a number of closely related varieties, such as the "Improved Hangdown", also known as "Improved Horner" or "Osier", which was sourced by Long Ashton from the
Wedmore
Wedmore is a large village and civil parish in the county of Somerset, England. It is situated on raised ground, in the Somerset Levels between the River Axe and River Brue, often called the Isle of Wedmore. It forms part of Sedgemoor district. ...
area in around 1900.
[Copas (2001), p.42] Some of these varieties are likely seedlings of the original, sharing the same type of fruit and drooping habit.
References
External links
*
{{Apples, state=collapsed
Apple cultivars
British apples