Eastnor Castle

Eastnor Castle Pear

Origin/History

First recorded in 1830, which the Herefordshire Pomona notes as "the date of the first existence of the variety." The Pomona further remarks that its accompanying description is "a very accurate description," suggesting the variety was well-characterized from early on.

Tree

Not described in sources.

Fruit

Size and Form: Medium. All three sources agree the fruit is round to roundish in form; the Herefordshire Pomona describes it as "quite round."

Stem: Long and strong (Herefordshire Pomona).

Cavity: Not described in sources.

Calyx: Not described in sources.

Basin: Not described in sources.

Skin: The sources conflict on skin color. The Herefordshire Pomona (1885) describes it as "an ugly brown shrivelly pear with scarcely any green" — that is, predominantly brown with very little green visible, and with a distinctly shrivelled surface texture. Downing (1900) describes the skin as green and thick. Thomas (1903) likewise describes it as green. The Pomona's characterization of "scarcely any green" stands in direct contrast to the American sources' description of a green skin.

Flesh and Flavor: Greenish white, juicy, and melting (Downing). Thomas confirms juicy and melting. The Herefordshire Pomona rates the fruit simply as "Good."

Core/Seeds: Not described in sources.

Season

December (all three sources agree).

Uses

Not described in sources beyond the Herefordshire Pomona's quality rating of "Good."

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in sources.

Other

The Herefordshire Pomona describes the overall appearance as "ugly" — a notable aesthetic characterization that may aid identification by distinguishing it from more handsome russet or green varieties of similar season.