Ribston Pippin apple

Malus domestica

Famous Yorkshire apple variety, probably the parent of Cox's Orange Pippin.

Ribston Pippin apple photo tape

Parentage: French ?
Origin: Yorkshire
Introduced: 1707
Season: Oct-Jan
Apple cultivar ID: 105200

Some historical details taken with kind permission from 'The New Book of Apples' by Joan Morgan and Alison Richards , illustrated by Elisabeth Dowle, published by Ebury Press, 2002.


Also known as the Glory of York, this is the most famous variety from the Yorkshire region of the UK. It's a strong-tasting 'aromatic' traditional apple, and was very popular in Victorian times.  It gets its name from Ribston Hall in Yorkshire where it was first grown, but it was almost certainly a seedling or pip imported from Rouen in Normandy, France.  This makes it contemporary with, and perhaps in some way related to another well-flavoured 18th century variety Margil, which also has French ancestry.

Ribston Pippin is almost certainly the parent of the world-renowned Cox's Orange Pippin.  It has a stronger more robust flavour than its offspring but is arguably less-refined.  This robustness can be seen in some of the offspring of Cox's Orange Pippin such as Suntan.  In our opinion, comparing the two apples side by side, the ancestry of Cox's Orange Pippin is certainly present in the flavour of Ribston Pippin, but more as a signpost of greatness to come - Ribston Pippin is a good apple, but not a great one.

However if you like a classic old-English dessert apple, then this is one to try.



Relationships to other apple varieties

Offspring of this variety:

  • Cox's Orange Pippin (distant descendant) - Ribston Pippin is generally believed to be one of the parents of Cox

See also:

  • Margil - Margil and Ribston Pippin both originate from England in the mid 18th century but with strong links to France


Visitor comments

(Use the form at the bottom to add your own comments, or reply to one of the existing comments)

05 Nov 2008 21:27   margaret james (grasby) from portsmouth PO3 6BN
I was born 1931 at the lodge of Ribston Park,a village called Walshford and i have had a ribston tree for many years until i moves,the history of ribston hall amzes me because i always thought that major dents family had lived there for hundreds of years,this not being so.Reply to this comment
17 Oct 2008 20:47   Nigel Goldstraw from Great Shefford, Berks. U.K.
This is just about the tastiest apple you will ever find, in fact after a Ribston Pippin very few apple varieties wil satisfy ever again. Next year (2009) I hope to produce a flagon or two of cider from a 'secret' tree.Reply to this comment
28 Sep 2008 20:32   Jan van Hoek from Brucht, in the east of Holland
Since 3 years we live at a former farmhouse with a small orchard. There is a splendid appletree with a plenty of well tasted apples. Now we know it is a Ribston Pippin. The tree is more than 60 years old. We try to get a young one from this tree. Is that possible? Who Knows more about it?Reply to this comment
16 May 2009 18:21   Nynke Zijlstra from Oostermeer, friesland
Hallo Jan, ik kan je aan een Ribston-pippin helpen als je wilt, neem je even contact met me op?
29 Sep 2008 20:20   Ayamo from Germany
@ Jan van Hoek, every good specialised fruit tree nursery can make you a young tree (e.g. taking a twig of your Ribston an put it on a new root). Or they already have some, Ribston can still be bought although I only know German sources. I would ask the nursery as well which root type they offer (trees get a different size then). Regards.

30 Jan 2008 12:29   ian blair from leeds, UK
ribston pippin is named after ribston hall (near knaresborough)were in 1688 ,sir henry goodricke planted 3 pips sent to him from rouen in normandy.2 died but from the 3rd came all the ribston trees in england it contains the highest vitamin c content of any appleReply to this comment
01 Nov 2007 11:29   Gill Warden from England
This variety is also mentioned in the classic 'A month in the country 'by J.l.Carr- a gem of a book don't know about the apple!Reply to this comment
18 Oct 2007 19:42   jack conner from castro valley, CA, USA
A favourite in my little orchard. This is the only apple mentioned by name, I believe, in Wyss's fantasy "The Swiss Family Robinson". The family finds a tree in the hold of that miraculous ship.Reply to this comment

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Where to buy apple trees

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