PERRY pear expert Charles Martell is celebrating after uncovering three lost varieties.

Mr Martell, of Broom's Green, near Ledbury, leads a team of farmers, nurserymen and fruitgrowers who are dedicated to keeping perry drinking and the perry pear alive.

So far they have tracked down 79 varieties of pear and rescued trees have been planted at the Three Counties Showground, as the National Collection of Perry Pear Trees.

The new finds came after Mr Martell unearthed a volume of early 20th Century photographs in the archives of the Woolhope Club, Hereford.

Bulmers employee Herbert Durham did the photographic survey of pears in 1926 and it showed specimens of three ancient varieties, Hellens Green, Water Lugg and Stony Ways.

Mr Martell was able to locate living specimens of the first two in an avenue of trees planted about 1710 at Hellens, Much Marcle, and Stony Ways was found at Brinsop.

Mr Martell said it is "like striking gold".

"To see these photographs and then to go out and find that same tree is a weird feeling; it's like history coming alive.

"We want to encourage local people to make good-quality perry again, and the more trees we save from extinction, the easier it will be to restore the whole tradition."