Bob Hobden wrote:
"Cat(h)" wrote
I would like to plant a couple of apple trees in the garden. I already
have a lovely crab-apple, planted two years ago, which is doing well -
though the flowers dropped this spring/early summer, so no fruit.

I would like good eating apples, crunchy, sweet and with a nice tangy
bite in them. The obvious one is Cox Pippin, but I am wondering if
anyone has any idea of other good varieties, preferably old British
Isle varieties?

Cox's Orange Pippin is not a variety for the home gardener, it is
susceptible to all the apple diseases and needs constant spraying etc to
give a decent crop which is why I've never seen one do well in a garden.
There are other much better varieties for the home gardener and any decent
supplier will guide you to them, indeed if you can get to Wisley for the
Apple Festival later this month you will be able to walk round the trees and
see what does well, although they do use a lot of commercial orchard type
chemicals that we can't buy. There may well be somewhere nearer.

Bob has the answer when he says to try to find a local supplier,
different varieties for different areas. I live in North Staffordshire
and found a supplier locally near Nantwich, his advice was sound. I had
never heard of the varieties until I went to see him. It is now around
the time of Apple festivals, look out for local ones, go along and you
should even be able to taste the apples. A Google search turned up a
number of possibles in Ireland.