Sweet as a nut

 

It used to thought (and it still could be so) that the non native Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa) arrived in Britain during the Roman Period AD43 - 410, although it appears that as yet there's no evidence of them before AD650. Whenever they arrived, they're a useful nut. Our route this morning took us through my favourite sweet chestnut wood, where the branches were festooned with open cases, and the floor beneath littered with nuts. You can tell when the Sweet Chestnut season is drawing to an end, as their spiky green cases, still on the branch, look like open face hugger eggs (think Alien film).  Although many of the nuts were again smallish or average, there were a respectable number of stonkers. I got to wondering if the sweet chestnut had an early drop, a bit like Apple trees have the 'June drop' when some fruits are discarded for the benefit of the remainder, hence the abundance of empty nut sacks a few weeks back. Shredded cases emptied by wildlife were present in huge numbers, the woodland critters have been enjoying a proper feed. I had to grab a load, well, it would've been rude not to. If you're looking to collect some I'd be quick.