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The Bramley Apple Festival 2019

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Guest written by Sarah Payne, Tourism Officer at Newark and Sherwood District Council.

Everyone has heard of Melton Mowbray pork pies and Cornish pasties, but perhaps less well known is the equally prestigious connection between Southwell and the Bramley apple – and the reason for Southwell’s Bramley Festival..

The story began as far back as 1809 when a local girl, Mary Ann Brailsford, planted some pips in her family’s garden on Church Street, one of which gradually grew into a particularly fine tree. In 1846 the cottage and garden were sold to a Mr Matthew Bramley. Soon afterwards the tree was admired by a local nurseryman called Henry Merryweather who noted its quality and asked to take grafts in order to establish its pedigree. Mr Bramley agreed on condition that if the fruit were to gain commercial success it would bear his name. So began the national recognition and love for the Bramley; from that day to this it has been unrivalled in flavour and its unique cooking qualities. It remains synonymous with traditional British puddings and continues to live up to its Victorian nickname as the ‘King of Covent Garden.’

Therefore it is for this reason that Southwell holds an annual Bramley Festival to honour its native fruit and create an occasion when the whole town comes together to pay tribute to the tiny pip that eventually became a world famous tree! This year’s event will be held on Saturday 19th October from 10am to 4pm at locations throughout the town.

The main focus of the day is at the Minster where a magnificent food and drink festival takes place. Over 30 stalls will fill the interior featuring the very best produce from small local businesses selling everything from juice and jams, teas and handmade sweets to specialist pies and cakes. In the very centre will be a wonderful display of lesser known apples, carefully nurtured by John Hempsall at his orchard in East Markham. Outside in the grounds of the Archbishop’s Palace children’s themed craft activities will be held, alongside dancing by local morris men.

For the more culinary-inclined there are cookery demonstrations, including how to make a pork pie and ideas for simple entertaining and everyday dishes using Bramley recipes, some with an unexpected twist!

Beyond the Minster the Festival extends into the town itself. All the shops create elaborate window displays with an apple theme, and the cafes and restaurants provide special apple dishes. At the library entries to the Bramley Painting and Poetry competitions will be on show and in the afternoon it will host the crowning of the children’s Bramley King and Queen, Prince and Princess competitions. Further afield the National Trust Workhouse will host special activities such as creating the longest length of apple peel, along with an apple-themed trail and stories of apple trees at the Workhouse. The Racecourse also gets involved by holding a Bramley Apple Celebration Race at a floodlit meeting on Thursday 10th October at which the winning horse owner will be presented with a small Bramley apple tree.

An exciting addition to this year’s Festival will be the chance to visit the cottage garden on Church Street where the original Bramley apple tree still stands. Since being purchased by Nottingham Trent University (NTU) in 2018 the cottage has been refurbished and the tree is being given ongoing specialist care to extend its life for as long as possible. The garden will be open from 11am to 3pm for visitors to view the tree and learn more about how NTU plans to secure its legacy for the future.

So for a day of tradition, pleasure and variety come to the Bramley Festival and share in Southwell’s delight and pride in being the home to the best of British apples.