SEEDS from a historically significant fruit tree have taken root in Wrexham.

Three apple seedlings grown from apple pips from the very apple tree that inspired Newton’s theory of gravity were presented to Techniquest Glynd?r by National Trust Erddig.

The seedlings were offspring from the apple tree that first took root around 400 years ago of the variety ‘Flower of Kent’.

National Trust Erddig has become famed for its large collection of apple trees and aptly, in the grounds of this stately home there is a fruit tree that has been propagated from the original over in Cambridgeshire.

Glyn Smith, Erddig’s head gardener, said: "These seedlings won’t exactly be the same as the original tree, as they will probably have been cross pollinated by other trees in the gardens here at Erddig and will also have genes from their parents and grandparents.

"So if they grow, there may one day be a new variety. Isaac’s Erddig Pippin perhaps?”

The collaboration between two local visitor attractions came about as a result of an initiative developed by the UK Association of Science Discovery Centres (ASDC) and National Trust’s property Woolsthorpe Manor in order to mark International Science Centre and Science Museum Day. This is a global event backed by UNESCO.

Apple pips taken from apples grown from the original apple tree at Woolsthorpe Manor were distributed to a limited number of science centres across the UK, with ASDC member Techniquest Glynd?r taking part in November 2016.

As well as contacting Erddig for their support Techniquest Glynd?r also involved children from two local schools in planting the apple pips that arrived from Woolsthorpe, the Welsh medium school Ysgol Plas Coch and Rhosddu Primary School.

Mr Smith added: “After Simon Brown from Techniquest Glynd?r contacted me I agreed to participate in the project and we received just three apple pips from the tree which still survives at Woolsthorpe with the other precious samples being planted by school children near the science centre.

"Originally the project was to work just with two local schools to plant and raise the pips and eventually plant them out, but I was happy to use my expertise in ensuring that there was the maximum chance of having live offspring from the seeds.

"To my amazement all three germinated and are now about two inches tall. I was pleased to hand them over to Simon for looking after in the Science Garden at the centre.”

Sir Isaac Newton was famously sitting under an apple tree, when a falling apple inspired his revolutionary theories about gravity and Techniquest Glynd?r, having opened their new Science Garden at their base on the campus of Glynd?r University, was keen to plant and grow an apple tree with such a close and historic connection with the world famous scientist.