Food
Apples and pears
Picture to come.
Apples grew wild as crab apples and in cultivated forms, and the cultivated pear had been introduced to Britain by the Romans. In the 12th century both were grown in orchards on manors and monastic estates, eaten fresh or cooked, and kept for winter; by the 13th century abbey tenants sold them at markets such as Gloucester. Named varieties are recorded mainly after 1200.
Caveats (confidence: medium)
Documentary evidence for specific orchards and varieties is mostly 13th century or later (the Warden pear, often linked with the period, is recorded by 1388).
Sources: hartpuryheritage.org.uk
Made by
- Harvest a field crop
Used to make
- Press cider and perry