Group hopes to save original Bramley apple tree

An appeal has been launched to raise £250,000 to secure the future of the original Bramley apple tree.

The house and garden in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, where it has stood for more than 200 years, has been put up for sale by current owner Nottingham Trent University.

This has prompted fears a new private owner may not be able to care for the tree, which has an incurable fungal infection.

Now campaigners in the Mother Bramley Fund (MBF) have given themselves a month to raise the funds to buy the property and its neighbours so part of it can be converted into a heritage site for tourists and an educational facility.

The tree is believed to have been planted between 1809 and 1815 by Mary Ann Brailsford, who lived at the cottage.

But the apple's unique character was not spotted for another 50 years until gardener Henry Merryweather took cuttings at a time the garden was owned by Matthew Bramley.

As the seeds of an apple tree are not exact copies of the parent plant, all Bramleys are descendants of cuttings from this tree.

Artist Dan Llywelyn-Hall, one of the founders of the MBF, said an effort had to be made to protect the tree, which had "endured two world wars, fed the nation and is the most famous apple in the world".

"Our ancient trees are not adequately protected in this country and the Bramley is testament to that - it does not have any tree protection whatsoever," he said.

"A new owner, whoever that may be, could come in and chop down the tree and face no sanction and that would be the end of the story.

"And this is one of the top 50 trees in the country and we should be championing it and making it open access to the public."

Llywelyn-Hall admitted the fungal infection had left the tree "ailing" but said it still produced blossom and it could have many years of life left.

The cottages are on the market for £400,000 and the campaign has linked up with an unnamed local business which will, if the target is reached, make up the difference.

The business will also manage the buildings while a trust set up by the campaign will look after the tree.

The campaign, which is being backed by musician and broadcaster Cerys Matthews, has set itself an early-June deadline to raise the money.

Llywelyn-Hall said: "We need people from all over the country, across the globe, to pull together and it's not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things.

"People want to come and see this, and it's a bit of an embarrassment they can't."

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