Apples galore! Searching for heritage varieties in Southampton

Refreshments will be served from 6pm and the talk will commence at 6:30pm.

Mac Ince of the Sholing Valleys Study Centre will explore local Sotonians and their horticultural pursuits; the story of the Beauty of Bitterne; the pomological treasures discovered within the University’s Archives and Special Collections; and the Sholing Valleys Apple Day.

Find out how the Apple Day started at Sholing Valleys, which led to a relationship with Chris Bird of Sparsholt College, and a joint hunt for the Beauty of Bitterne (a super rare local apple variety)! What did they uncover in the pomological treasures within the University of Southampton’s Archives and Special Collections?

You will learn about the horticultural variety that is in danger of being lost, not simply in apples, but in the richness and diversity of landscape and ecology.

The printed collections at the University of Southampton include seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth-century guides to the development and successful propagation of fruit plants, instructions on cider making (including recommendations for the best apple varieties to use) and recipes for culinary delights such assuch as apple tansy. You will learn how to properly conduct an apple wassail, eighteenth-century style!

There will be an opportunity to learn about the work of the Sholing Valleys Study Centre, including their annual Apple Day, encouraging local people to connect with the landscape and each other through apple pressing.

Timings

Monday 14 September:

1800 - 1930

Location & directions

Hartley Library, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, Hampshire, SO17 1BJ

Directions:

The event will take place in the Library Conference Room in Hartley Library but we'll meet you at the Library main reception.

Contact on day:

Karen Robson

Telephone number:

+442380592721

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking required

Booking conditions:

Please book ticket via our Eventbrite page for the event: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/apples-galore-searching-for-heritage-varieties-in-southampton-tickets-1990567163972

Booking contact name:

University of Southampton Archives and Special Collections Team

Booking telephone number:

+442380592721

Booking website:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/apples-galore-searching-for-heritage-varieties-in-southampton-tickets-1990567163972

Booking opens:

01 Jun 2026 06:00 AM

Booking closes:

07 Sep 2026 06:00 PM

Accessibility details

Parking will be available but it will be an issue on site due to the British Science Festival taking place on the same dates, as well as it being the first week of term (Freshers Week). Attendees encouraged to use public transport or walk, not drive.

Additional information

We are also hosting behind the scenes tours where you can also see our current exhibition, Earth, Sea, and Sky on the same day and on Tuesday 15 September. This event is called Behind Closed Doors: Exploring Archives and Special Collections and the Earth, Sea, Sky Exhibition. Email [email protected] for more details.

Max number of people:

25

Estimated duration:

1 hour(s) 30 minute(s)

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