The parkland at NT Calke Abbey has many beautiful huge, old sweet chestnuts. Some have long, trailing branches that appear to prop it up like a drapey candelabra and this is quite possibly what they are doing. As the tree gets bigger and heavier, the lower limbs give it extra stability against strong winds.

The sweet chestnut is a lovely tree and a primary source of food for bees, moths, other insects and mammals, in turn food for birds and higher mammals. Completely unrelated to the horse chestnut -its leaves are long, single and serrated as opposed to the five lobes or ‘fingers’ of the horse chestnut. It’s nuts form in a case covered in semi-firm prickles.

The nuts can be eaten – popular roasted or can be ground into a flour (beware: horse chestnut conkers are poisonous). It produces a hard timber which is straight (young wood) for joinery or carpentry; or twisted (old wood) great for wonky fences. Traditionally used for fencing as it resists rot.

For local places to visit these trees and see their gorgeous autumn colours, have a look at the National Trust and Woodland Trust websites.