The Newt Podcast

In this episode, we welcome flower farmer, florist, seed grower and author Milli Proust for a beautiful conversation about growing with the seasons and finding creativity in the garden. Recorded as part of The Great Garden Show 2026, Milli shares her thoughtful approach to flowers, seed saving, naturalistic planting and the rhythms that shape life on a flower farm. From the joy of cultivating beau...

n this episode, we welcome conservationist, writer and campaigner Merlin Hanbury-Tenison for a moving and wide-ranging conversation about Britain’s forgotten temperate rainforests. Recorded as part of The Great Garden Show 2026, Merlin reflects on his work at Cabilla on Bodmin Moor, the healing power of ancient woodland, and the urgent need to restore and protect one of the UK’s rarest habitats. F...

In this episode, we take a walk with the world-renowned fermentation revivalist Sandor Katz to explore the world of fermented foods. From Miso Soup, to Blackberry wine, asparagus and beyond, Sandor shares the stories, traditions and microbial magic behind fermentation practices that have nourished communities for thousands of years.  Whether you're an experienced fermenter or simply curious a...

On Saturday 16 May, we welcomed renowned gardening experts Alan Titchmarsh, Marian Boswall, Charles Dowding, Tony Kirkham and Matthew Pottage to field questions from visitors inside the Story of Gardening. Recorded in front of a live audience at The Great Garden Show 2026, this special episode is hosted by our very own head gardener, Harry Baldwin, who leads a fascinating and wide-ranging conversa...

Ahead of The Newt's inaugural  Great Garden Show 9th-17th May 2026, we take you into the gardens to meet the team members getting their areas ready to show off their splendour.  Voices featured:  Head Gardener, Harry Baldwin Espalier fruit trainer, Henry Thurgood Colour gardens lead, Joe Dransfield Victorian terrace lead, Deanne Lewis Head of Ornamental Gardens, Andy Apples The Newt Podcast i...

Pete Olley, Head of Compost at The Newt, takes us on an exploratory journey into the heart of The Newt's compost heaps. We begin in the prunings, clippings, peelings and coffee grounds and end in the 'black gold' so coveted by gardeners and growers alike. Pete explains the processes at work, how to compost 'like a Newt', the keys to success, tips on how to get started at h...

Water Buffalo ( Bubalus bubalis ), form an important part of the Newt’s farm. Their milk is used by Margaretha Van Dam, the Newt’s Head Cheesemaker, for the signature cheeses made in the Creamery at Castle Cary railway station, a couple of miles from The Newt’s HQ. Cameron Knee, The Newt’s Farm Manager, takes us on a tour around the buffalo farm and brings us mic-to-nose with these remarkable, fas...

Jim Pitcher, Gamekeeper of The Newt, introduces us to the animals of the estate - some familiar, and others less so. Jim has worked on the estate for decades, and has watched how it has changed over all those years. He has also seen how the English landscape has changed in those years and shares his insights about wildlife management and countryside traditions. Come ear to beak with a menagerie of...

Charles Dowding , possibly the best known name in ‘no-dig’ gardening circles, has spent 44 years growing organic food the no-dig way.   A Somerset native, Charles comes from a farming family and has always had an appreciation of how soil health is directly related to our health. As Charles puts it in his own words, “I was conventional as a teenager, not questioning the world I saw. Then, in 1979,...

Paul Lamb , master hedgelayer, has spent over 25 years refining and practising his craft across the West Country and, more recently, in Gower, South Wales.  Working by hand with traditional tools, he restores and creates living boundaries that support wildlife, prevent erosion, and preserve the character of the British countryside. His book Of Thorn & Briar and his Instagram account @westcount...

Gaz Oakley , chef, grower and cookbook author visits The Newt ahead of cooking dinner at the Garden Café on Thursday 12th March 2026 and his kombucha masterclass in the gardens on Friday 13th March 2026. Selected subjects covered: Ferments, pickles, preserves in the vaulted cellars of Hadspen House (02:00) Intentional house building (prioritising functional design over purely profit-driven convent...

The Newt’s Head of Food, Gelf Alderson, leads us on a journey through The Newt’s four restaurants, meeting the chefs that give them their unique identities. The Newt Podcast is created by the team at The Newt in Somerset and produced by Harry Coade at Sound Matters.  If you enjoyed this episode, follow The Newt Podcast to enjoy more walks and talks across the estate, or better still become a Newt...

The Newt's Head Beekeeper, Kerry Redman, lifts the lid of the Newt's hives and invites you to peek in and learn about why you should keep bees and the ethos that underpins responsible beekeeping. This episode was recorded in spring. Key subjects covered: What is a honey sommelier? (03:40) The difference between honeys (04:10) Is all honey real honey? (04:50) Different hive design (05:15)...

What do the gardens of the Newt look like from an insect's eye view? We meet the Newt's resident entomologist, Tom Oliver PhD, who gives us illuminating insight into the world of insects. Key subjects covered in this episode: What the job of an entomologist entails (01:10) The role and importance of insects in the health of the Newt's habitat (01:50) The life of a bumblebee queen (0...

Bruce Parry, Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, Marian Boswall & Gaz Oakley delve into the cultural momentum around nature and discuss what it all really means and why it is more relevant than ever. Recorded in-front of a live audience at the Gather & Grow: Connections Festival 2025. We bring together a stellar line-up of thought leaders, writers and experts for three days of relevant, impactful di...

Rupert Sheldrake PhD, Melissa Hemsley, Alice Vincent and Head of Programmes at The Newt, Arthur Cole explore how we can foster belonging, meaning and a deeper sense of place in an increasingly fragmented world. Recorded in-front of a live audience at the Gather & Grow: Connections Festival 2025. We bring together a stellar line-up of thought leaders, writers and experts for three days of relev...

Professor David Nutt, Dr. Martha Deiros Collado & Lorraine Candy explore how we can nurture resilient, connected children in a digitally saturated world. Recorded in-front of a live audience at the Gather & Grow: Connections Festival 2025. We bring together a stellar line-up of thought leaders, writers and experts for three days of relevant, impactful discussions. The three-day event was p...

Arthur joins Eva Kruse, producer of new environmental documentary Bee Wild to record in front of a live audience at Ladbroke Hall during London Climate Action Week. In this episode, we hear from Eva on the plight of the world’s pollinators, what businesses and individuals are doing to protect them, and what we can be optimistic about. Arthur also shares more on The Newt’s biodiversity programme to...

Seasoned war reporter, photojournalist, writer and filmmaker, Lalage ‘Lally’ Snow, joins Arthur Cole for a fascinating dawn walk around the Deer Park. Lally shares first-hand insights into the power of gardens in conflict zones and what green spaces can teach us about healing hearts and minds torn apart by war. We also hear about her newly published memoir, ‘My Family and Other Seedlings: A Year o...

Relive the magic of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 with garden writer, broadcaster and national treasure, Monty Don. In this Newt Short special, Monty reveals his favourite garden this year, shares his views on the power of horticulture for bolstering mental health and explains what the ‘Glastonbury festival of the gardening world’ means to him. The Newt Podcast is created by the team at The New...

From Monty Don to Mary Berry and Richard E Grant, we caught up with some of the leading British voices in the worlds of horticulture, food, film, music, broadcasting, radio, comedy, philanthropy and more to hear about what RHS Chelsea Flower Show means to them. Discover the blooming sights, sounds and evocative scents in this joyful behind-the-scenes episode featuring Clive Anderson, Zoe Ball, Dav...

Environmentalist Ben Goldsmith and conservationist, veteran and founder of Britain’s rainforest charity, The Thousand Year Trust, Merlin Hanbury-Tenison join Arthur for an eye-opening walk and talk in the woods and verges of our old apple orchard. Conversation flows from woodland habitat to the natural history of moss and surprising stats around food production here in the UK. In this episode, we...

Arthur joins The Land Gardeners, Henrietta Courtauld & Bridget Elworthy on location at their Somerset House exhibition for a new spin on The Newt Podcast. 'Soil: The World at Our Feet' provided an apt (and eponymous) backdrop for a fascinating conversation on the power and potential of soil.    Did you know that there are more organisms in a teaspoon of soil than there are humans on...

Stefan Jennings is a sculptor, willow weaver and otter enthusiast. He’s been creating spectacular, awe-inspiring works of art in Somerset for decades. Along with fellow willow weaving artist Serena de la Hay, Stefan has made the giant willow structures for The Newt’s annual Fire Night celebrations for the past four years. He also leads a programme of seasonal workshops on willow weaving on the est...

Marian Boswall, award-winning landscape architect and horticulturist joins Arthur for a nature ‘love-in’, as they share their mutual appreciation for the great outdoors. Set against a backdrop of the dawn chorus, total lunar eclipse and rising sun, this a very special episode of The Newt Podcast.  Tune in for a crisp spring wander across the Somerset estate to learn about the importance of talking...