CaSave the Mother Bramley Apple Tree for the Nati

Aim

FUND CANCELLED REFUNDS WILL We need to raise £250,000 to purchase Bramley Cottages and secure the Mother Bramley

FUND CANCELLED DUE TO NOTT TRENT SELLING THE TREE FOR PRIVATE LAND DEVELOPMENT 

REFUNDS WILL FOLLOW ASAP

Every Bramley apple you've ever eaten grew from this one tree.

It's 220 years old. It stands in a quiet Nottinghamshire garden. And right now, without public intervention, access to this irreplaceable tree could be lost for good.

The Mother Bramley is the original. Every Bramley apple tree in existence - in Britain, in Europe, across the world - descends from a single pip planted in Southwell around 1809. It fed the nation through two world wars. It has been named twice as one of the 50 most important trees in the UK, included in the Queen's Green Canopy, and celebrated as one of Britain's most cherished living heritage sites.

Now, its future is uncertain.

Apples still growing on the ancient Mother Bramley

The Tree Council plaque recognising the Mother Bramley as one of 50 Great British Trees, 2002

The window is closing

Nottingham Trent University, which has cared for the tree for the past decade, has put Bramley Cottages - the property in which the Mother Bramley stands - up for sale. The cottages could be bought at any time, and if they pass into private hands, there will be no guaranteed public access, no independent custodianship, and no certainty that this ancient, delicate tree will receive the specialist care it needs.

We have one chance to change that.

What we're doing

A group of conservationists, artists, scientists and heritage campaigners have come together to purchase Bramley Cottages and secure the site for the public, permanently. The group includes broadcaster and musician Cerys Matthews OBE; artist and tree campaigner Dan Llywelyn Hall; Celia Steven, great-granddaughter of Henry Merryweather who first cultivated the Bramley; Rob McBride, whose advocacy has helped save threatened trees from Sheffield to Wales; and Dr James Ritchie, a scientist who has long championed the Mother Bramley's cause.

Once purchased, a Community Interest Company will be established to oversee the tree's care and the site's future. The cottages will become a heritage destination and educational facility, with free public access to the garden and the tree itself.

Bramley Cottages, Southwell — the property we need to purchase

What your support makes possible

• Free, open access to the Mother Bramley and its garden for everyone
• A heritage exhibition telling the full story of Britain's most famous cooking apple
• An education programme for schools and youth groups
• A residency programme for writers, conservationists and artists
• A living legacy, held in trust for the public - for generations to come

If the property purchase does not proceed, every donation will be refunded in full.

Be part of the story

Pledge £250 or more and you'll receive full voting rights in the CIC - a genuine stake in the tree's future. Pledge £1,000 or more and your name will be engraved on a permanent plaque in the garden, beside the tree itself.

This tree has been growing for over two centuries. It has outlasted empires, fed generations, and inspired growers across the world. All it needs now is for enough of us to act - quickly, and together.

IF THE TARGET IS NOT MET YOU WILL BE REFUNDED YOUR DONATION

Help us save the Mother Bramley. The tree that fed a nation deserves to belong to one.

This project closed unsuccessfully on 1st June 2026