Isaac Newton apple tree saplings auctioned in UK first

Ten saplings from the apple tree that inspired Sir Isaac Newton are being auctioned to raise money for the future care of his birthplace.

An apple falling at the scientist's childhood home in Woolsthorpe Manor, Lincolnshire, in 1666 is believed to have inspired him to discover gravity.

The National Trust, which runs the property, said it was the first time the saplings were being auctioned.

Andy Jasper, from the trust, said he hoped the tree's legacy would continue.

"This auction will allow that exact same genetic material to be preserved for a long time," he said.

"If a storm came along or a pest or a disease hit that tree, we would actually want to go to a different place where those other saplings are going to be kept.

"So the idea for this auction is for 10 people or organisations to become a custodian of this horticultural heritage, so if something ever did happen to that dear old tree we would be able to go back and take cuttings and put it back in exactly the place where Sir Isaac Newton sat."

Mr Jasper, head of gardens and parklands at the trust, said he hoped the saplings would "grow to still be around in 400 years' time".

Blue Diamond Garden Centres, which is running the online public auction, said it was a "once in a 350-year opportunity to secure the legacy Sir Isaac Newton created, for future generations".

Managing Director Alan Roper said half of the money raised through the auction would be donated to help the trust with the upkeep of the manor.

Mr Jasper said the funds would be spent on new fencing around the tree at the manor, as well as conservation of the grounds and property.

The auction, which runs until 29 September, opened on Monday morning and had received more than 800 inquiries from interested bidders before it began, Mr Jasper said.

He said the saplings would be presented to the new buyers at an event on 21 October.

The falling apple in the garden of Woolsthorpe Manor prompted Newton to consider the theory of gravity.

Mr Jasper said his "mathematical plotting" of apples falling from the tree at his home meant "we knew exactly which tree he was sitting under".

"That tree has been very special for the nation for a long time," he said.

Newton, who is buried in Westminster Abbey, is credited with laying the foundations for our scientific age, with his laws of motion and theory of gravity underpinning much of modern physics and engineering.

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