A community group in England is raising money to protect a tree that started it all for one of the world’s most popular cooking apples.
The original Bramley apple tree, located in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, is where every Bramley apple tree in the world can trace its roots. It was grown from a pip by a young girl named Mary Ann Brailsford way back in 1809, making it over 200 years old.
Bramley apples are widely used for cooking, and the variety is considered one of Britain’s most treasured heritage trees. In 2022, the tree was included in a nationwide network of ancient trees set up to honour Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
But now the tree’s future is uncertain.
The land it stands on, known as Bramley Cottages, belongs to Nottingham Trent University. The university is looking to sell the land to a private buyer, which has alarmed heritage campaigners. They worry that a private owner would close off public access and might not give the elderly tree the careful attention it needs to survive.
A group called the Mother Bramley Heritage Group has launched a crowdfunding campaign with a target of £250,000. Their plan is to buy the land themselves and turn it into a heritage site open to visitors, as well as an educational facility. A local business has also pledged to contribute to the fund and help manage the cottage.
