The comprehensive resource for apples and orchards

Keswick Codlin apple

An old but ever-popular early-season English cooking apple.

Keswick Codlin photo tape

Keswick Codlin pre-dates the classic Victorian period of English apples. According to Victorian pomologist Robert Hogg writing later in the 19th century, it was first found growing as a seedling tree in a rubbish heap at Gleaston Castle near Ulverston at the southern tip of the English Lake District, in the 1790s.  A local nurseryman from the nearby town of Keswick, John Sander, propagated it and helped establish it.

Keswick Codlin rapidly established itself as a very early season culinary apple with a good juicy acidic flavour.  It readily cooks down to a sweet puree.

Keswick Codlin continues to be a popular garden variety to this day.  Its success rests on two factors.  Firstly its excellent flavour, early in the season when there is not much else about.  Secondly, it is one of the more foolproof apple trees for the gardener, readily succeeding in damp climates with short growing seasons, and a reliable and usually heavy cropper.

Last updated 15 Jun 2011.

Summary

  • Species: Malus domestica
  • Parentage: Unknown seedling
  • Origin: Ulverston, Lake District, England, United Kingdom
  • Introduced: Early 19th century
  • Developed by: John Sander, a nurseryman from Keswick
  • Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 103700

Identification

  • Bultitude apple group: 5. Yellow, smooth, sweet or acidic

Growing

  • Flowering period: Early-Mid season
  • Flowering group: 2
  • Fertility: Partially self-fertile
  • Triploid: No
  • Vigour: Slightly small

See also:

  • Dog's Snout - Dog's Snout has some visual similarity with Keswick Codlin.

Keswick Codlin identification photos from official fruit collections


UK National Fruit Collection

©Crown Copyright more >
UK National Fruit Collection

Keswick Codlin identification photos from website visitors


Keswick Codlin tape


Keswick Codlin


Rate this variety for flavor

Current rating: 5 out of 5. Total votes cast: 1
 

Visitor comments

(Use the form at the bottom to add your own comments about this variety)

17 Oct 2010 James LeachSHROPSHIRE, United Kingdom
When we moved into our home 56 years ago, Sylvia, my late wife and I inherited a Victorian garden of ? acre that included about 8 apple trees, some of which still survive. One of which has been identified as the distinctive Keswick Codlin, always with a ridge down one side, sometime continuing right around. That tree,in spite of appearing on our detailed map of 1884 still produces fruit each year,as do three others of different species.

08 Jul 2010 H. WalkerBEDFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom
I guess this must be our Codlin, which keeps well in our eaves cupboard. We had some left 2 weeks after Easter this year and can see the next crop is a good one too.

26 Nov 2009 Dave AlstonDERBYSHIRE, United Kingdom
I used to live in Lancaster. From looking at this web site and others, I'm pretty sure this was the variety of apple tree in our garden there. Great in pies and you could eat the ripest ones straight from the tree. Wouldn't mind tasting one again!

06 Jul 2009 David FernieCUMBRIA, United Kingdom
Sharp intense apple flavour. Cooks to a pulp. Ideal for pies. Very easy, trouble free tree which is partially self fertile.

04 Oct 2008 Judy CoulsonBINFIELD HEATH, OXFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom
is this the one with a crease down one side? I remember it from my Grandmothers garden in Bath many years ago.

18 Sep 2008 Sally LeszczynskiBANBURY, United Kingdom
I agree with the other comments here. We inherited a Keswick Codlin when we moved here 40 years ago, only we called it the 'mushroom tree' because of its shape, not knowing its variety until years later.It has fallen down three times, to differing degrees.and been jacked up as much as we could. We feared the most recent time would be terminal, its trunk being almost right down on the ground,and many of the roots out of soil. But no,3 years on it's fruiting brilliantly. Takes up a lot of space, but so much easier to pick! Wonderful old friend.

15 Sep 2008 Sarah ColemanHINCKLEY, LEIECSTERSHIRE, United Kingdom
I absolutely adore these as eating apples - they're grown organically at our local farm from where we buy our fruit and veg: Willow Farm run by the Rickard family in Congerstone, Warwickshire. They're too delicious to reserve for cooking only, and are the perfect apple combination of crisp, sharp and snappy - a bit of an eye-waterer!

09 Jan 2008 Helen MooreWORCESTER, United Kingdom
This apple is one of the flavours of my childhood in Worcester, for eating from the tree and cooked. Our family inherited a mature Keswick tree and another just used for cooking when we bought an inner city terrace.

03 Aug 2007 TomUnited Kingdom
Very good apple for crumble and it fluffs up well with just a hint of water.

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Fruit tree register

Do you have a tree of this variety in your garden or orchard? If so please register the details here and contribute to our international register of fruit trees.

The following Keswick Codlin trees have been registered - click the name to view more details of each tree.

You can also view these trees on a map.

United Kingdom



Latest harvest records for this variety

Mature heights for Keswick Codlin trees

This table shows the likely mature height for a Keswick Codlin tree taking into account the vigor of the variety, the rootstock, and soil conditions.

Rootstock Soil quality
Poor Below average Average Above average Very good
P22 2.1 ft
0.6 m
2.6 ft
0.8 m
3.2 ft
1.0 m
3.7 ft
1.1 m
4.2 ft
1.3 m
M27 2.4 ft
0.7 m
3.0 ft
0.9 m
3.6 ft
1.1 m
4.2 ft
1.3 m
4.8 ft
1.5 m
M9 3.6 ft
1.1 m
4.5 ft
1.4 m
5.4 ft
1.7 m
6.3 ft
1.9 m
7.2 ft
2.2 m
Bud.9 3.6 ft
1.1 m
4.5 ft
1.4 m
5.4 ft
1.7 m
6.3 ft
1.9 m
7.2 ft
2.2 m
Geneva 16 3.6 ft
1.1 m
4.5 ft
1.4 m
5.4 ft
1.7 m
6.3 ft
1.9 m
7.2 ft
2.2 m
Geneva 11 4.2 ft
1.3 m
5.3 ft
1.6 m
6.3 ft
1.9 m
7.4 ft
2.3 m
8.4 ft
2.6 m
M26 4.5 ft
1.4 m
5.6 ft
1.7 m
6.8 ft
2.1 m
7.9 ft
2.4 m
9.0 ft
2.8 m
Geneva 30 4.8 ft
1.5 m
6.0 ft
1.8 m
7.2 ft
2.2 m
8.4 ft
2.6 m
9.6 ft
2.9 m
MM102 4.8 ft
1.5 m
6.0 ft
1.8 m
7.2 ft
2.2 m
8.4 ft
2.6 m
9.6 ft
2.9 m
M7 5.4 ft
1.7 m
6.8 ft
2.1 m
8.1 ft
2.5 m
9.5 ft
2.9 m
10.8 ft
3.3 m
M116 5.4 ft
1.7 m
6.8 ft
2.1 m
8.1 ft
2.5 m
9.5 ft
2.9 m
10.8 ft
3.3 m
MM106 6.0 ft
1.8 m
7.5 ft
2.3 m
9.0 ft
2.8 m
10.5 ft
3.2 m
12.0 ft
3.7 m
MM111 7.2 ft
2.2 m
9.0 ft
2.8 m
10.8 ft
3.3 m
12.6 ft
3.9 m
14.4 ft
4.4 m
Bud.118 7.8 ft
2.4 m
9.8 ft
3.0 m
11.7 ft
3.6 m
13.7 ft
4.2 m
15.6 ft
4.8 m
M25 9.0 ft
2.8 m
11.3 ft
3.5 m
13.5 ft
4.1 m
15.8 ft
4.8 m
18.0 ft
5.5 m

From an idea by N. Buck - more details.

Where to buy apple trees

The following fruit tree nurseries offer Keswick Codlin apple trees for sale:

  • Keepers Nursery
    United Kingdom  More >>

Where to buy apples

The following orchards and suppliers offer Keswick Codlin apples for sale. map >

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