Gallery coming soon…
Westmorland damsons are particular to the Lyth and Winster valleys in South Cumbria and are typically found in small orchards adjacent to farms or planted in hedgerows and along boundary walls. Damson trees grow prolifically there. They are very hardy and thrive on the well-drained, limestone soils and benefit from the relatively mild climate of the area.
Hartley Trotter has been picking damsons with just a bucket and a ladder for over 60 years and his family have been inhabitants of the Lyth Valley since the 1800s.
“In the past damsons were a very important crop and part of income around here. They were small, little farms of 15 or 20 acres and most of their living was made from damsons. They relied on the damson crops to pay their rents. Now we just pick to sell on the roadside – it’s not a major part of our income any more.”
During the 1930s, 300 tons of damsons were sent away annually for jam making but this ceased at the outbreak of war in 1939. On Damson Saturday, the whole of Kendal was full of carts selling damsons and cartloads were taken by rail to jam factories in Lancashire and Yorkshire.
