Welcome to Acton Bridge

The Hazel Pear Tree

A few words and pictures about the village's characteristic fruit trees

Update 16. September 2006 : We held a Pear Festival on Saturday 9. September 2006, to celebrate the historic orchards of Acton Bridge. Tony Gentil, who has a specific interest in local orchards, joined us for the day - click here for details and pictures!

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The typical shape of a hazel pear tree (above), a close-up of the ripe fruit (above right) and part of an old orchard in the village (below right)

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One of the commonest pears in Acton Bridge was the Hazel, or Hessle Pear. A Women's Institute member in her 90's remembers calling these pears 'toadbacks', on account of their brown skins and black dots, not unlike that of a toad.

Unconfirmed stories suggest that during the First World War the pears were delivered to Manchester, to make a khaki dye for military uniforms.

If you'd like more information, the following, provided by Ruth Smith, may be helpful :

The National Fruit Collection is at Brogdale Horticultural Trust, Brogdale Road, Faversham, Kent ME13 8X2, Tel 01795 535286. Reference is also made in 'Orchards of Cheshire' edited by Cheshire Federation of Women's Institutes, published by Alfresco Books (ISBN 1-873727-06-2). Click here for the CFWI website.

Adapted from "Snapshots in Time", a book about the Village published by the Acton Bridge WI to mark the Millennium in 2000. Copies are available from the Post Office.

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