Hangy Down Apple tree

Planted in 2017. My location is Lat: 50.20432, Lon: -5.49491 Show on map – //www.google.com/maps/place/50.20432,-5.49491

Hangy Down or Horners are cider apples with mottled red and green apples. The tree is slow growing compared to most other apple Trees, though once it matures it will become a heavy cropper. The fruit,  has a high sugar content, giving them a mild bittersweet flavour that makes them fantastic additions to any cider mixture, although they don’t have enough body to make a good cider all by themselves. It is a traditional westcountry variety that is commonly found in old orchards throughout Devon and Somerset.

The Hangydown, also known as Hangdown, Horner, or the Pocket Apple,is a traditional variety of cider apple grown mostly in Somerset and North Devon.

It is most easily identified by the tree’s habit, which is compact, with twiggy branches that droop heavily when in full fruit. Its origin is unknown, but it was possibly first grown in the Glastonbury area of Somerset. It was also widely grown in Devon, where it was often given the name “Pocket Apple”.

In the classification of cider apples the Hangdown is referred to as a (mild) bittersweet type, and is considered to be a ‘vintage’ variety, i.e. capable of making single-varietal cider.

Although Hangdown is rarely present in modern commercial orchards, it was once one of the varieties recommended by the Long Ashton Research Station for cidermaking, and is still present in ‘trial’ orchards outside its native area.