The special apple tree at Woolsthorpe Manor has an interesting story. It began as a small piece taken from Isaac Newton’s garden around the early 1820s. Reverend Charles Turnor took care of it first.
The tree went to different places, like Belton Park, a Fruit Research Station, Cambridge Botanical Gardens, and finally ended up at Kew Gardens. Kew Gardens generously gave it to Woolsthorpe Manor in 1976.This tree grows a type of apple called ‘Flower of Kent.’
It’s special because Isaac Newton sat under a similar tree and thought about gravity in 1666. People like Voltaire, John Conduitt, and Catherine Barton talked about this important moment, and it was first written down by John Conduitt in 1726.
Even though a storm hit the tree in 1816, it didn’t give up. It grew back and is now more than 350 years old. The tree still stands at Woolsthorpe Manor and is also remembered at the University of York.
This tree reminds us of Isaac Newton’s curiosity and how asking questions can lead to amazing discoveries that stay important for a long time.
