Waltham Abbey

Origin/History

Waltham Abbey was raised about the year 1810 from seed by Mr. John Barnard, of Waltham Abbey in Essex, England, and was introduced by him at a meeting of the London Horticultural Society in 1821. The Herefordshire Pomona records its parent as the Golden Noble, noting that the variety resembles that parent though is quite distinct from it. Bunyard, however, gives the parent as the Holland Pippin — a direct conflict between sources on this point.

Tree

Growth is moderate; fertility is good when old (Bunyard). The tree is remarkable for its very small foliage, though fruit is abundant and of a good useful size (Herefordshire Pomona). Leaves are small, oval, and finely serrate (Bunyard).

Fruit

Size: Large. Bunyard gives dimensions of 3½ inches by 2¾ inches, describing it as fairly large.

Form: Roundish, inclining to ovate, according to the Herefordshire Pomona, which notes this tendency toward ovate form as a point of distinction from the Golden Noble, which is quite round. Downing describes it as roundish and slightly conic. Bunyard gives round conical and irregular.

Stem: Here the sources conflict directly. The Herefordshire Pomona and Downing both describe the stalk as short. Bunyard, by contrast, describes the stem as long and slender.

Cavity: The cavity is narrow and deep, always rayed with scaly russet (Bunyard). Downing records the cavity as russeted. The Herefordshire Pomona describes the stalk as deeply inserted and surrounded with rough russet.

Calyx: Large and open (Downing). The Herefordshire Pomona also describes the eye as large and open. Bunyard, however, describes the eye as closed or nearly so — a direct conflict with the other two sources on this point.

Basin: The Herefordshire Pomona describes the basin as shallow and even. Bunyard describes it as rather deep, irregular, and much ribbed — again in direct conflict.

Skin: Pale yellow, assuming a deeper tinge as it attains maturity, with a faint blush of red where exposed to the sun (Herefordshire Pomona). The surface is strewed all over with minute, russety dots, and occasionally a few patches of thin russet (Herefordshire Pomona). Downing similarly records yellow skin with dull red in the sun and many minute russet dots. Bunyard confirms pale yellow with a faint red flush.

Flesh/Flavor: Yellowish, tender, juicy, sweet, and pleasantly flavoured (Herefordshire Pomona). Downing agrees: yellowish, tender, juicy, sweet. Bunyard confirms tender, yellow flesh, sweet.

Core/Seeds: The seeds are plump, roundish, and very light brown — a reliable distinguishing feature according to Bunyard, who notes the variety can always be distinguished by this characteristic.

Season

The Herefordshire Pomona gives September to Christmas. Downing gives October to January. Bunyard gives September to December.

Uses

A culinary apple of first-rate quality. It requires but little sugar when cooked, and has inherited from its parent the great merit of becoming translucent when cooked, assuming a clear, pale amber colour (Herefordshire Pomona). Bunyard also rates it as an excellent cooking fruit.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.