Campaigners hope to save mother tree of bramley apple

Campaigners have launched an appeal to try to save for the nation the mother tree of perhaps the most popular cooking apple in the world. The original bramley apple tree , which grows in the garden of a cottage in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, is for sale, with the cottage put on the market by its owners, Nottingham Trent University. Every single bramley apple ever eaten can be traced back to the tree, which was planted from a pip by a young girl, Mary Ann Brailsford, in the early 19th century. It has been recognised as one of the 50 most important historic trees in Britain but has no legal protection. Rather than have the 220-year-old tree fall into private hands with no public access, campaigners are seeking to raise money to buy the property and turn it into a heritage centre. The artist Dan Llywelyn Hall , one of the founders of the campaign and who has depicted the mother tree in many of his paintings, said: “Saving this tree for the nation sends a much wider message about preserving our ancient heritage trees and appreciating them like any cultural asset. The original bramley apple tree sits in the garden of the cottage, which belongs to Nottingham Trent University. Photograph: Robert Rathbone/The Woodland Trust “If we can buy paintings for museums for gargantuan sums, why can’t we see these natural wonders as equals and give them due reverence, care and dignity. …