Black Worcester Pear Tree, Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

Image: © A J Paxton Taken: 17 Apr 2014

This tree has been trained as a horizontal espalier, flat against the east-facing 18th century wall, which provides shelter from the wind and acts as a kind of storage heater, absorbing heat from the sun and releasing it at night. It is a Worcester Black Pear, one of many heritage fruit trees grown at Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens. According to Worcestershire Orchards, the Worcester Black is a pear of the 'warden' type, first recorded at Warden Abbey in Bedfordshire in the 13th century. The pear has been used as a heraldic symbol of Worcester and Worcestershire, a county of orchards, since at least the 15th century. The dark-coloured fruit of the Worcestershire Black has good keeping qualities, which made it valuable in an age before refrigeration, but it is not grown commercially today. The tree is, however, easy to grow, disease-resistant and crops prolifically, and its preservation at sites such as Castle Bromwich is important in ensuring genetic diversity. The fruit is better baked than eaten raw and in medieval times was used in savoury dishes, served with meat http://www.worcestershireorchards.co.uk/black-pear/ .

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