Mystery surrounds the whereabouts of Scarlet Tiffing, Sugar and Brandy and Lady Pilkington – last seen at the end of the 20th Century.
And while Ginny (Jenny) Lyn has been saved, the disappearance of Walton Weeper and Green Slipper are still being investigated.
All these are names of apples and pears, once common in England’s traditional orchards many of which have vanished as consumers prefer cheap, mass-produced supermarket varieties.
The People’s Trust for Endangered Species is co-ordinating the mapping of the traditional orchards of England and has identified over 900 possible remnants of orchards in the county using historic maps provided by the Lancashire Environment Record Network (LERN).
And the PTES is seeking volunteers to help locate and survey these orchards, record species, number and condition of the fruit trees present.
Traditional orchards are hotspots for biodiversity and support a wide range of wildlife including many species which are nationally rare or scarce, including the noble chafer beetle.
Using the information provided by the PTFES, members of the Northern Fruit Group are trying to identify varieties of apples, pears and plums within these orchards and to graft and monitor unidentified specimens.
Grafting involves inserting a bud or shoot into another fruit tree so it grows as part of that tree but retains its characteristics.
The Northern Fruit Group’s Phil Rainford said: “There are many ‘missing’ local apple varieties in Lancashire which were with us at the end of the 20th Century and we have good descriptive records of them.
“Scarlet Tiffing, Trumpeter, Sugar and Brandy, Royal Shepherd, Lady Pilkington and many other specimens may still be with us and they are a part of our local cultural and historic heritage.
“Some work has already been done – for instance, a local, unrecorded apple variety named Ginny (Jenny) Lyn once grown in the Leyland and Catforth area has been saved. The Walton Weeper and Green Slipper pears from the Eccleston area are being investigated.
“At present we have grafted over 100 mystery apples and pears from ancient trees in the north of England.”
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