John Hudson catches up with the Chapmans, a couple who are dedicating their lives to perry pears

P erry pears were first developed in Britain in north- west Gloucestershire, and Hartpury, in that peaceful corner of the county, owes its name to the fruit.

All of which makes it particularly apt that the village is now home to the widest variety of perry pear trees in the country, a national collection of 110 varieties. There are a couple of other national collections, in Malvern and Kent, but neither has more than 60 or 70 different fruits.

The man behind the newly launched Orchard Centre is Jim Chapman who, with his wife Holly, was the driving force behind the Shambles street museum in Newent for more than 20 years.

As we noted in last week's West Country Life, that part of their life has now come to an end, and the museum's contents are being auctioned at a four-day sale on site later this month.

But this new venture will be spread over a somewhat longer time scale. "They say you plant pears for your heirs," says 59-year-old Jim, who in fact has no children, and is happy to think of the orchards continuing under the trust that is already in place to run them.

"Perry pear trees do not come into decent production until they have been growing for 30 or 40 years, and are still good when they are 100 or 200 years old. They can live to be 300, but they're getting a bit tired by then.

"You start getting a bit of fruit off them after 10 years, but not on a commercial level. I shall enjoy watching these orchards developing over the years but I'm resigned to the fact that I shall not see them in their prime."

Jim, a solicitor in Newent and Gloucester, is a local farmer's son and moved home when the farm was being sold, buying some workers' cottages and about 80 acres.

There are some 25 acres of trust land, while Jim still has 70 acres, 40 of which are planted as perry pear orchards. He first planted about 10 years ago, and plans to continue to do so; this is a man whose enthusiasms, either for Victoriana or fruit trees, do not come by halves.

But did perry pears in this country really start in his neck of the woods? "They certainly did," he replies. "Most of our native perry pears are descended from the wild pear; we think the Romans brought a lot of pyrus communis, the Conference pear, into this country, and the seedlings crossed.

"It is recorded that back in 1660 or 1670, a few growers around May Hill were selecting the best of the wild pears and starting to make perry. The diarist John Evelyn spoke highly of the drink at around that time.

"It was noted as 'a champaygne-style drink' which reminds us of the trouble Showerings ran into some years ago when they marketed Babycham as 'champagne perry'."

There are other perry traditions in Europe, but not many, and they are concentrated in relatively small areas. Perry making flourishes along parts of the Lake Constance shoreline in Austria and Germany while, perhaps not surprisingly, the wonderful orchard country of Normandy also prides itself on making the drink.

Perry pears are fairly juicy, but undrinkable before they have been fermented. "What's most important is the tannin you get in them – the same tannin you find in red wine," says Jim. "That's the difference between perry and almost all the pear cider you see, which is made from Conference pears. I've nothing against it, but it's not perry. It doesn't have the same tannin or complexities."

The focal point of the Orchard Centre is a traditionally built oak-framed hall, a beautiful building in which perry and cider makers at all levels, from novices to professionals, will gather to learn more about their craft.

A favourite spot for visitors who are there simply for a walk in the quietest of countryside will be an ancient wetland meadow which attracts wintering wildfowl, waders and warblers, as well as water voles, amphibians, grass snakes and insects. A little egret has been the star turn so far, but there are also the first signs of otter activity.

Large amounts of expertise are going into the project, with huge input from the likes of Peter Mitchell of Pershore, the cider guru who will run the courses, and Charles Martell of Dymock, legendary champion of cheeses, native apples, Gloucestershire cattle and all things "slow food".

Then there's the money: £230,000 from the National Lottery; £100,000 each from Gloucestershire Rural Renaissance and Natural England; and vital help from the Glou- cestershire Environmental Trust.

"Five years ago, all this seemed a foolish ambition," Jim Chapman muses. "It's mar- vellous that we've come so far but really, this is just the beginning of it all."

Bearing in mind the trees' 300-year lifespan, some might think that that's putting it mildly.

The Orchard Centre at Hartpury will be opened on May 14 by Henry Elwes, Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, by invitation only.

For the rest of us, there will be open days on Friday and Saturday, May 16 and 17, from 10am to 4pm.

There will be guided tours of the orchards and wetland on both days, but on the Friday there will also be the chance to learn about all the various courses for cider and perry makers at the centre.

These are for enthusiasts of all abilities, from professionals to absolute beginners.