Many varieties of apples still retain their local character and are rarely known outside their home territories. The Yorkshire apple, Flower of the Town, is one such variety, which Barry Potter now highlights.

The 'Flower of the Town' apple illustrated here grows as a venerable tree in a large farm orchard in East Yorkshire, which is in the process of restoration under the DEFRA Countryside Stewardship Scheme. The orchard is home to a good range of traditional varieties of apples, pears and plums.
 
The variety tends to be known as 'Flowery Town' hereabouts and when I first heard this, I thought it was a corruption of the correct name. However, both names appear in the 1827 catalogue of York nurserymen, Backhouse, together with a second synonym, ‘Redstreak’. It is a highly decorative apple; ribbed particularly towards the eye, shiny, dark red all over or streaked with red over yellow green, hence its alternative name. The red colour sometimes extends deeply into the flesh giving the ‘sops in wine’ effect sometimes seen in other deeply red apples.
 
As well as its decorative appearance, which reputedly found it favour as a table decoration, when freshly picked in late September/Early October it has a good flavour; sweet and fragrant with just enough acidity but it quickly becomes bland if kept too long. I have not experienced the excessive acidity sometimes remarked on. The skin and flesh are somewhat leathery and chewing a thick slice particularly suits my six months old grandson, who has no teeth but is currently being weaned!
 
I believe it was sent to the National Fruit Collections, Brogdale some years ago by Ernest Oddy after being pointed out to him by James Beal, the orchard proprietor.