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 relevant, impactful discussions.

The three-day event was packed with wellness sessions, workshop tasters (for adults and children), live music, BBQs, foodie pop-ups, Sunday lunch with Ana Ortiz and Gill Meller, and an inspiring series of panel talks.

Join Hannah MacInnes (broadcaster & journalist, Times Radio, How To Academy) as she chairs the talks and introduces us to fascinating speakers:

Rupert Sheldrake PhD is a biologist and author best known for his hypothesis of morphic resonance. At Cambridge University he worked in developmental biology as a Fellow of Clare College. He was Principal Plant Physiologist at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in Hyderabad, India. From 2005 to 2010 he was Director of the Perrott-Warrick project for research on unexplained human and animal abilities, funded by Trinity College, Cambridge.

Melissa Hemsley is a former private chef turned food columnist, best-selling cookbook author, real food activist and sustainability champion who is passionate about spreading the power of feel-good food. Melissa's most recent book, 'Real Healthy', is available now in all good bookshops.

Alice Vincent is a writer, broadcaster and multi-platform storyteller fascinated by the often-overlooked parts of life. A career journalist, she was a writer and editor on the arts desk of The Telegraph before joining Penguin as an editor. Now a columnist for The Guardian and Gardens Illustrated, Alice has offered readers her fresh approach to nature, gardening and life in the city as a columnist for The Telegraph and The New Statesman. Alice's new book, 'Hark - How Women Listen' is out now in all good bookshops.

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 Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset

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 discussions.

The three-day event was packed with wellness sessions, workshop tasters (for adults and children), live music, BBQs, foodie pop-ups, Sunday lunch with Ana Ortiz and Gill Meller, and an inspiring series of panel talks.

Join Hannah MacInnes (broadcaster & journalist, Times Radio, How To Academy) as she chairs the talks and introduces us to fascinating speakers:

Bruce Parry is an English documentarian, indigenous rights advocate, author, explorer, trek leader and former Royal Marines commando officer. He employs an ethnographic style and a form of participant observation for his documentaries. Bruce's new series of 'Tribe with Bruce Parry' was aired on BBC2 in April 2025 and is available on BBC iPlayer.

Dr Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg is a multidisciplinary artist examining our fraught relationships with nature and technology. Through artworks, writing, and curatorial projects, Daisy’s work explores subjects as diverse as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, conservation, biodiversity, and evolution, as she investigates the human impulse to “better” the world. She experiments with simulation, representation, and the nonhuman perspective to question the contemporary fixation on innovation over conservation, despite the environmental crisis. Daisy's 'Pollinator Pathmaker' video installation for the British Library's 'Unearthed' exhibition and her 8-metre tapestry for the Design Museum can be experienced now.

Marian Boswall is a leading landscape architect and horticulturalist, was a lecturer in Historic Garden Conservation at Greenwich University for several years and is a co-founder of the Sustainable Landscape Foundation. Marian's work combines conservation and regeneration in gardens for historic estates, private homes and community sanctuaries which are as beautiful as they are biodiverse. Marian's recent book, 'The Kindest Garden: A Practical Guide to Regenerative Gardening' is available now in all good bookshops.

Gaz Oakley is classically trained chef originating from Cardiff, Wales. After many years working in top restaurants & a sabbatical from the industry and a few health issues, he made a big change to adopt a plant based lifestyle. With this new lifestyle, his passion for cooking exploded again. In 2016 Gaz launched a YouTube channel sharing his stories through food. Since then he’s reached over 1.6 million subscribers, made a series in Wales, Mexico & Jamaica & written 3 best selling cookbooks. Gaz's book, 'Plant to Plate', released in May 2025 is available in all good bookshops.

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 Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset

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 packed with wellness sessions, workshop tasters (for adults and children), live music, BBQs, foodie pop-ups, Sunday lunch with Ana Ortiz and Gill Meller, and an inspiring series of panel talks.

Join Hannah MacInnes (broadcaster & journalist, Times Radio, How To Academy) as she chairs the talks and introduces us to fascinating speakers:

Professor David Nutt, DM, FRCP, FRCPsych, FMedSci DLaws, is currently the Edmund J Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology and Head of the Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology in the Division of Brain Science, Dept of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London. He is also visiting professor at the Open University in the UK and Maastricht University in the Netherlands. David's recent book, 'Psychedelics - The revolutionary drugs that could change your life - a guide from the expert' is available in all good bookshops.

Dr Martha is a clinical psychologist and HCPC registered practitioner with over 20 years of clinical and academic experience. A Doctorate from UCL, and an MSc in Health Psychology and Family Therapy training from the Tavistock. Martha focuses on our common humanity and the topics that are relevant in the here and now to support parents in building confidence and feel less alone. Martha strongly believes that focusing on the parent-child relationship is the key to effective change, rather than trying to modify children’s behaviour. Martha's book, 'The Smartphone Solution', is out in August 2025.

Lorraine Candy is an award-winning journalist, editor and best-selling author. She has more than three decades of experience interviewing high profile names as well as writing about women’s lives and parenting in national newspapers and magazines. The mum-of-four is also co-host of the chart-topping lifestyle podcast Postcards From Midlife, which features celebrity guests, spirited women’s stories and renowned experts. Lorraine's recent book, 'What's Wrong With Me; 101 Things Midlife Women Need To Know', is available from all good bookshops.

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 Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset

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 protect and enhance natural habitats and bring members and guests closer to our wonderful world of insects.

The film is part of a broader global impact campaign called Bee:wild, powered by Re:wild, the nature conservation organisation co-founded by Leonardo DiCaprio. 

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 Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset

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 on a Dorset Allotment’, and touch on subjects such as the ancient origins of modern vegetables, and the World War II allotment movement that brought about the highest levels of nutrition our population has seen before or since.

Tune into this inspirational episode to learn more about seasonal eating, growing nutrient dense food for your family and the joys of being a novice allotment holder, even if you’re starting from scratch.

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 Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset

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 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 Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset

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, David and Victoria Coren Mitchell, Dhani Harrison, Raymond Blanc, Amanda Holden, Moira Stuart, Hattie Ghaui, Jo Brand, Monica Galetti, Marcus Wareing, Fred Sirieix, Alexandra Burke, Deborah Meaden, Fergus Garrett, Paul Hollywood, Nick Grimshaw and Alan Titchmarsh. Tune in now to immerse yourself in the magic of the world’s greatest flower show.

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 Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset

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 re-imagine land usage for the benefit of our ecosystem, biodiversity and our species; discuss the economy of rewilding; and ask what makes a native species.

We also hear about Merlin’s newly released book, ‘Our Oaken Bones’, published by Penguin, a story of healing mind, body and planet at his extraordinary temperate rainforest retreat in Cornwall. An enthralling must-read for any lovers of nature. 

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 Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset

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 the planet? In this episode we explore the mind-blowing role soil plays in the nutrient density of food to climate resilience and how the secret world beneath our feet might just be the key to our own, and the planet’s future. 
 
Soil enthusiasts can catch The Land Gardeners co-curated exhibition at Somerset House until Sunday 13 April. 

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 Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset

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 estate. 

In this episode, Stefan shares his inspirations in the Somerset landscape, alongside some of the surprising characters he has encountered throughout his career. 

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 Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset

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 and (crucially) listening to your plants, Roman gardening mythology and the benefits of tree hugging. Marian also gives us an insight into her new book, ‘The Kindest Garden: A Practical Guide to Regenerative Gardening’, released on 10 April 2025. 

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 Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset

Meet David Rowley, The Newt’s Head of Productive Growing, for a tour of the Market Garden over at Avalon Farm. Found at the far reaches of the estate, David and his team painstakingly plan, grow, rotate and pick the seasonal spoils for The Newt’s restaurants, shops and your door via online delivery.

In this episode, David walks us through productive polytunnels, hydroponics house and the fertile fields at the heart of The Newt’s food story. Listen in to learn about the challenges faced when growing fresh food all year round in Somerset, the importance of compost, and how to turn sunshine into sustenance!

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 Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset

John Ridding, Chairman of The Financial Times Group comes back to The Newt for a walk and talk with Arthur around the frosted landscape. 

In this episode, John navigates a (slightly treacherous) pre-Roman bridge as he shares the story of his international journalism career. We explore the parallels between the natural and business worlds and hear about the important lessons that mother nature can teach us. With the rise of AI advancing at pace, John explains the real and present existential threat to journalism and democracy as we know it.

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 Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset

Join Julia Samuel MBE, therapist, podcaster, author, and Somerset local, for an early spring walk around the Marl Pit with Arthur, during snowdrop season. 

Set off on a stroll around our storytelling area surrounded by myth and Arthurian legend, to hear more about Julia’s 35-year career in psychotherapy. Suffering, grief and mental health issues will affect us all at some point in our lives and in this episode, we touch on coping mechanisms to see us through.

Julia extols the virtues of keeping active, the importance of simply being outdoors, breathing and improving limbic system function as essential factors in supporting and maintaining our psychological health. 

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 Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset

Join Arthur Cole, Podcast Host and Head of Programmes at The Newt in Somerset, as he explains what you can expect from this series, and why you won’t want to miss an episode. 

Arthur joined the Newt in its infancy, when it was merely an ‘eft’ (juvenile newt)! Now his role sees him at the helm of crafting ideas and curating unique experiences for hotel guests and day visitors. Throughout the podcast, Arthur guides us through The Newt, introduces us to the team members who breathe life into the business, and talks to invited guests who feel inspired to share their stories on a walk around this extraordinary estate in Somerset. Be sure to tune in and subscribe. 

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 Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset