Churchfield Black

It's thought many gardeners in the Church Fields area of West Bromwich in the Black Country grew this variety, and saved seeds each year. However, the secretary of the Newton Street Allotment Association, West Bromwich (and HSL member), says his grandfather grew them in the late 1800s, and they originally came from the estate of Colonel Churchfield on the South Coast of England, so the name may just be a happy coincidence! Produces medium length, brownish-green pods filled with black beans. Eat them when very young to avoid any stringiness.