The National Fruit Collections at Brogdale - do not move them!

Helen Walton has sent us the following comment.

I saw on your blog something about the national fruit collection being moved. Two or three years ago I visited the fruit collection when it was at Faversham when all the blossom was out and I think it was one of the prettiest pictures I have ever seen, and it seems a dreadful shame if the trees are now being dug up and moved somewhere else.
Wouldn’t that upset them? I don’t really understand it because in one place you say it will have to move and in another the site is OK. I think it should stay where it is. Are you getting up a petition or anything?

Helen Walton

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Good to hear that you enjoyed your visit to the National Fruit Collections at Brogdale. They are exceptionally beautiful at this time of year; the Pear Collection is in blossom at the moment and looking wonderful.

Moving the Collections would not involve physically moving the existing trees. The Collections would be repropagated, that is scion wood (a small piece) would be grafted onto a rootstock to form a new tree. These new trees would be planted at the new site. This is a standard practice, although not without risk. There is always the chance that a variety may be lost in the process and the possibility that the Collections may be rationalised, that is slimmed down, or that the Collections may be split up with one collection of fruit going to one site and another fruit collection planted elsewhere. One of the great merits of the Collections at Brogdale is that there is such a wide range of fruits all growing on one site and that there is so much diversity, for example over 2,000 varieties of apple. This is a huge bonus for everyone from the visitor and amateur gardener to the fruit scientist.

It will, of course, take some time - at least five years - to repropagate, plant and then check the new trees to ensure that there have been no errors during the propagation and planting. During this time the new Collection would not offer much to look at or produce much fruit and it would be probably ten years or more before it might resemble the present Collection. In the meantime the existing Collection would remain at Brogdale, but presumably not enjoy the status of a National Collection, nor receive government funding for its maintenance as it does now. To many people it all seems an expensive and pointless exercise.

I entirely agree with you - the Collections should stay where they are - at Brogdale. There is no good reason to consider moving them. They have been there for 50 years and can remain at Brogdale. The site is ideal for growing a wide range of fruits and secure - the present owner has stated publicaly that he is committed to providing a permanent home for the Collections. (see previous posting - ‘Fruit Collections to Visit’)

Your suggestion of a petition is a good idea - we will investigate starting a poll to see how many visitors to Fruit Forum are in favour of the Collections remaining at Brogdale and how many find moving the Collections to another site acceptable.

Joan Morgan