Originally Norbiton and Coombe were covered in orchards, as were Hook, parts of Tolworth and Old Malden as far as Plough Pond. Tolworth still has an old apple store or barn (c1856) that is in desperate need of repair, as it has lost many tiles around its pagoda style roof see photos.

You may know that Kingston has an apple market but did you know that there are at least two local heritage varieties of apple: Mitchelson's seedling grown by Alexander Mitchelson, a former market gardener from Norbiton; and W.H. Divers of Hook, who founded the 'Colonel Yate'.

We are trying to raise money for a leaflet which will weave you through the Orchard Gardens, Apple Groves and Cox Lanes - to tell Kingston's apple story so that you can walk it's pomological trail, inform you of future fundraising efforts so that the Tolworth apple store will be protected, as part of a landscape scale farmland restoration project in a neglected part of the borough.

Contributions of £60 or more will be credited on the leaflet see: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/alison-fure

Article supplied by Alison Fure