The first organic walnut crop has been harvested by Sharpham Park and filmed by BBC Countryfile for a special hour-long Autumn programme.
In the film, the presenter, Anita Rani helps with the harvest and discovers that it borrows technology from one of Somerset's oldest crops, the apple. Anita and Roger get cooking and make a tasty walnut pesto, the perfect accompaniment to spelt bread!
The fascinating programme also shines a light on the interesting uses for walnut hulls, and the work of Catherine Lewis, a textile artist, who uses them to make natural dye.
The walnuts can be bought online or from our sister company, Kilver Court Designer Village in Shepton Mallet.
Walnuts were originally planted by the Abbots of Glastonbury and have always been part of Sharpham Park's farming economy and history. Twelve years ago, Roger Saul, the founder of Sharpham Park, planted 300 walnut trees on his organic estate. "When I first found the remains of a monk's lunch of walnuts, scallop shells and chicken bones stuffed into the lime mortar of a medieval wall at Sharpham, I knew I had to grow walnuts. What I didn't know was that it would take me more than 20 years to get there".