I'd like an orchard.......

[Mell]

For NW & Salty areas you might want to look at the Welsh Apples & Northern ones, I was sent some scions of these last year, although I'm in Leicestershire, they took easily

Withington welter
Pigs skin
Bardsley
Millicent barnes

Sorry don't know much about their performance but they are supposed to be good up North !

If your climate is especially harsh, it might be worth getting a rootstock tree established first, then graft onto it one the roots are well established