Enjoy the garden after hours!

Garden Lates is an intimate picnic experience at the heart of the estate.

Let us roll out your blanket so you can watch the sun set over the gardens from your personal pitch.

Enjoy summer salads plucked fresh from the veg plot and our speciality BBQ picnic supper prepared by our talented estate chefs, all served whilst sipping something delicious and listening to live jazz.

View the menu below and click 'BOOK A PITCH' to secure your place. Then all you need to do is stroll up, sit back and sip a cyder or two.

Menu

All guests receive a welcome cocktail on arrival and a hamper including one bottle of Signature Blend Cyder per person.

Additional drinks can be pre-ordered when booking or purchased on the night from our cocktail van.

Starters

Babylonstoren olives & nuts and a selection of small plates

Mains

Our BBQ set menu is accompanied by a selection of salads (served buffet style)

Vegetarian Options

Note, vegetarian options are served with the following accompaniments: * Chargrilled courgette, tomato, saffron aioli and basil * Chargrilled pinstripe aubergine, English grown green lentils, tahini and coriander

Dessert

Summer fruits fool with lemon verbena curd and salted butter crumble

Cheese

Ducketts Caerphilly cheese, served with spelt and ale crackers, cyder fruit chutney and red onion pickles.

Please Note

Newt Membership is not required to attend Garden Lates. Our formal gardens are open for exploration and guests are welcome to enter the gardens from 6.30pm. The gardens will close at 9.30pm (or when dark).

Some of our pitches are on the ground (laid picnic blankets), whilst others are seated on our garden chairs – please indicate your preference when booking.

During inclement weather Garden Lates will be held in the Garden Café.

Wake up with Arthur Cole on a stroll through the gardens before the rest of the estate awakes. Listen to the songs of the birds, take in the scents of the flowers. The walk culminates in breakfast in the Garden Café.

Drystone walls are an important part of the Somerset rural identity and have been so for millenia. Building drystone walls is not only hugely satisfying physically, but it also promotes mindfulness and time for healthy reflection.

The day begins with a brief introduction on the history, theory and design of drystone walls with celebrated drystone waller Tom Trouton. You are led through the basics and topics covered will include how to start a drystone wall, how to repair a damaged wall and how to apply the principles learned to creating other structures (such as firepits and artworks).

All materials and equipment are provided.

Please wear steel-toe cap boots and sturdy clothes.

Includes: Tea & coffee on arrival with the Bakery’s signature cinnamon bun, ending with lunch at the Garden Café.

Join us for our bundle dyeing workshop using locally-grown and foraged flowers and organic UK-produced peace-silk scarves. You shall be led through the process by Babs Behan, natural dyer and specialist of non-toxic natural dyeing, inks and printmaking. Babs' work has featured in BBC Countryfile, Sky News, Saatchi Gallery, Tate Museum, Jo Malone, V&A Museum, Lush LTD., Barbican Centre, Fashion & Textiles Museum London.

The day begins with an introduction to your materials and then a guided forage around the gardens with one of our senior horticulturists. You are then led through the process by Babs. The workshop ends with a three course lunch in the Garden Café.

A note on the organic peace-silk you will be using from the producers:

"As well as feeding our silkworms organically, we produce our silk in such a way that is ethical and sustainable. Majestic Textiles does not use any detergents or bleaches, or feed its silkworms with hormone enhancements, as is common practice amongst many producers. The silkworms are allowed a full life circle, which gives the silk ‘Peace Silk’ status. This is the ethical process of allowing the silkworms to live a complete lifecycle. The silk is not extracted from the cocoons until the metamorphosis is complete and the moth breaks free. The silkworms need 14 days in their cocoon feeding off the silk inside. This means only half as much silk is left at the end of the process, which is the main reason most silk producers bypass the ethics and kill the silkworms as soon as they cocoon. Majestic Textiles’ commitment to its silkworms is the reason we were awarded ‘Peace Silk’ status."

Plants from arid areas of the world are varied and beautiful, but can be prickly characters. In this workshop, our xerophyte (plants which require very little water) experts teach you how to succeed in growing these plants at home.

This introductory course shares the requirements for a selection of cacti and succulents, propagated via four different means, then plant in an open terrarium.

The day begins with learning about succulents, where they grow, how they grow and how they reproduce. Under the expert guidance of our Nursery Team you shall then create your very own miniature contained arid garden. You shall then take the knowledge gained and your terrarium home with you.

Includes: Tea & coffee on arrival with the Bakery’s signature cinnamon bun, ending with lunch.

Join Lead Fruit Grower, Andy 'Apples' Lewis in the Parabola Walled Garden as he leads you through how to succeed in the art of espalier.

You will be introduced to the techniques, skills and secrets used by the Fruit Team to train fruit trees in all manner of forms. This is a rare opportunity to learn from our resident fruit experts.

All materials and equipment are provided.

Please wear sturdy footwear and practical clothing.

Includes: Tea & coffee on arrival with the Bakery’s signature cinnamon bun, ending with lunch at the Garden Café.

Close the day by allowing your mind to quieten to the gentle sounds of the estate in the evening. Join Arthur Cole as he leads you through the gardens and grounds during this magical time of day. The evening culminates with sundowners and charcuterie boards in the Garden Café.

Wake up with Arthur Cole to the early buzz of high summer. The walk culminates in breakfast in the Garden Cafe.

Join our Head Beekeeper & honey sommelier, Paula Carnell, in this immersive workshop. Paula will lead you on a deep dive into the mind of the hive.

Paula prepares you for this rare and extraordinary experience as you suit-up with veils, slow your breathing, lower your heart-rate and step into the world of the honey bee. You will lift the lid and peer into the often hidden workings of the hive, examine the honey production, interpret the health and wellbeing of the colony, allow your body's frequency to interact with that of the bees' in a led meditation before closing the session with a honey tasting.

Includes: Tea/coffee and our signature cinnamon bun with a picnic lunch under the canopy of the lime trees

Our resident flower growers and arrangers lead guests through the cut-flower beds of the Farmyard, teaching how to select flowers, where to cut and how to tidy and prepare before creating floral displays.

Includes: Tea & coffee on arrival with the Bakery’s signature cinnamon bun, ending with lunch.

Close the day by allowing your mind to quieten to the gentle sounds of the estate in the evening. Join Arthur Cole as he leads you through the gardens and grounds during this magical time of day. The evening culminates with sundowners and charcuterie boards in the Garden Café.

"The trees which are pruned, watered and nurtured by caring hands bear the greatest fruits; it is the same with people." - Bryant H. McGill.

Join Andy ‘Apples’ Lewis, Specialist Fruit Grower, as he leads a day of summer pruning fruit trees in the garden.

The day begins by becoming acquainted with the fruit trees in the garden and your tools. Andy then guides you as you prune different trees to a variety of styles. You cover why to prune, when to prune, where to prune and how to prune different forms (espalier, step-overs, single cordons, double cordons, Belgian fence). Several species of fruit tree are worked on giving you a comprehensive understanding of how to prune fruit regardless of the size of your balcony, garden, allotment or farm.

All materials and equipment are provided.

Please wear sturdy footwear and practical clothing.

Includes: Tea & coffee on arrival with the Bakery’s signature cinnamon bun, ending with lunch.

Wake up with Arthur Cole as he leads you on a stroll back in time to the Roman Villa before the rest of the estate awakes. The walk culminates in breakfast in the Garden Cafe.

Close the day by allowing your mind to quieten to the gentle sounds of the estate in the evening with Arthur Cole as he leads you up to the Roman Villa. The evening culminates with sundowners and charcuterie boards in the Garden Café.

Wake up with Arthur Cole as he leads you on a stroll through the late summer gardens before the rest of the estate awakes. The walk culminates in breakfast in the Garden Café.

The relationship between the garden and the kitchen is akin to a symbiotic one. The gardeners and chefs work closely together to plan the year’s seasonal harvests. This fresh produce deserves the finest send-off, so we send you off to harvest ingredients for your lunch with the gardener, while we set-up the picnic area above the wildflower meadow to have everything you need to cook your picked bounty over fire, creating inventive and delectable dishes with the chef.

The day begins with meeting the gardeners and the chef in the Wildflower Meadow, followed by a short journey to our Market Garden over on Avalon Farm. At the Market Garden we will meet the gardeners who have been cultivating and tending to the plants, picking alongside them to fill our trugs for lunch. Trugs filled to the brim, we head back to the main gardens to cook our harvested produce over open fire, culminating in an indulgent lunch picked and prepared by ourselves.

All equipment and ingredients supplied.

Please wear sturdy footwear and practical clothing.

Includes: Tea & coffee on arrival with the Bakery’s signature cinnamon bun

Join the Garden Team as they lead you through how to prune trees & shrubs. Pruning trees and shrubs correctly is essential to their healthy growth.

The day begins in the main gardens where you are led through how to prune and shape a selection of ornamental trees and shrubs.

All materials and equipment are provided.

Please wear sturdy footwear and practical clothing.

Includes: Tea & coffee on arrival with the Bakery’s signature cinnamon bun, ending with lunch at the Garden Café.

In celebration of the Autumn Equinox and our Harvest weekend, it's the annual Deep South Somerset BBQ & Boil!

Inspired by the flavours of the Deep South and traditional country broils, think Crab, Corn and Cyder Chowder, butcher Lloyd's hotlink sausages, green tomato pickle and cornbread made with proper West Country cheddar. Accompanied by live music for dancing and hay bales for reclining.

Join us in the gardens for two days of live acts and the finest BBQ fare and seafood this side of the county. No booking necessary, valid Membership or Member's Guest Day Pass required for entry.

Close the day by allowing your mind to quieten to the gentle sounds of the estate. Join Arthur Cole as he leads you through the late summer colours and scents of the garden. The evening culminates with sundowners and charcuterie boards in the Garden Café.

‘Planting and growing increasing numbers of trees is the scientific solution to Earth’s environmental dilemma.’ - Richard St. Barbe Baker.

Planting trees isn’t just essential to the health of the environment, it is remarkably rewarding for the soul. In this Hort Course the garden team lead you through the correct way to plant trees.

The day begins by being led through the fundamentals of planting and staking trees of different species and sizes. The course covers: how to interpret your soil and site, soiul improvers, pest & diseases and when, how and where to prune your newly planted trees.

All materials and equipment are provided.

Please wear sturdy footwear and practical clothing.

Includes: Tea & coffee on arrival with the Bakery’s signature cinnamon bun, ending with lunch at the Garden Café.

Wake up with Arthur Cole as he leads you on a stroll through the orchards before the rest of the estate awakes. The walk culminates in a warming breakfast in the Garden Cafe.

Cyder is the blood that runs through the Newt’s veins, it carries within it the very essence of what the estate is about: Somerset, apples, responsible stewardship of the land, heritage, horticulture, experimentation, creativity and sensory experience.

Join the Cyder Team as they lead a workshop on cyder making. You will learn about the history of cyder making in Somerset, harvest the apples in the orchards, taste the different characteristics of some of our 70 different varieties of cyder apples, press your own juice by hand and start the cyder making process in a demi-john to then take home with you as well as a tasting pack of our own cyders.

Includes: Tea & coffee on arrival with the Bakery’s signature cinnamon bun, ending with lunch at the Garden Café.

Make sure you visit this weekend during apple harvest season, for one of our favourite events in the Estate calendar.

‘Apple Day’, which actually falls on 21 October - was started in 1990 by Common Ground. Apple Day aims to raise “awareness not only of the importance of orchards to our landscape and culture, but also in the provenance and traceability of food” - these are philosophies that we at The Newt also hold dear. Plus, we really like an excuse to celebrate apples.

The weekend shall be a two-day celebration of all things apple; from juice pressing to apple games, displays, recipes, cyder tastings and tractor tours through the orchards. Expect live music and DJs, apple-themed menus as well as our ever popular hog roasting on a spit over fire for the carnivores!

Wake up with Arthur Cole as he leads you on a stroll through the orchards before the rest of the estate awakes. The walk culminates in a warming breakfast in the Garden Cafe.

Fungi is a fascinating kingdom. There are over 15,000 species of fungi in the UK alone. Some are edible, some are inedible and others can be deadly. However, the properties of fungi do not stop at the plate - this extraordinary group holds some of the answers to the beginning and evolution of life on this planet. They have medicinal uses, religious and ritualistic significance, economic weight, and folklore spanning back to times before the written word.

Join our fungi expert on a forage across the Estate, identifying fungi species and foraging different mushrooms. In the second part of the workshop, you learn how to sow your own oyster mushroom spores in straw to continue growing indoors at home and how to set your own shiitake dowels in logs to continue growing outdoors at home.

Includes: Tea & coffee on arrival with the Bakery’s signature cinnamon bun, ending with lunch at the Garden Café.

Join Arthur Cole on an early morning walk through the trees. Learn more about these ancient parts of the estate and the interconnected web of life that maintains this balanced woodland ecosystem.

The walk culminates with a seasonal breakfast in the Garden Café.

Join our Woodland Team for ‘Hort Course: Hedge Laying’. The day begins with an introduction to the craft by a master West Country hedge layer. You will understand the purpose and benefit to laying hedges, the process behind it, the habitat it creates, and how to maintain the hedge in years to come. Immensely satisfying, this is a skill that promotes wildlife conservation and mindfulness at the same time. Includes: Tea & coffee on arrival with the Bakery’s signature cinnamon bun, ending with lunch.

Join Arthur Cole on an early morning walk through the trees. Learn more about these ancient parts of the estate and the interconnected web of life that maintains this balanced woodland ecosystem.

The walk culminates with a seasonal breakfast in the Garden Café.

Wake up with Arthur Cole as he leads you on a stroll through the glistening winter gardens before the gates are opened and rest of the estate awakes. The walk culminates in a warming breakfast in the Garden Cafe.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! A time to wrap ourselves up and wrap presents for family and friends. Christmas cards aren’t only a way to reaffirm the bonds with our loved ones; making them from scratch offers you the time to pause during the busy festive season, creating something that will adorn their homes.

The second part of the workshop will teach you elementary calligraphy using botanical inks, to then beautifully write your festive wishes.

Includes: Tea & coffee on arrival with the Bakery’s signature cinnamon bun, ending with lunch at the Garden Café.

Christmas decorations bring cheer into the home and often remind us of Christmasses past, as we unwrap those as old familiar favourites from the box. Creating your own decorations is mindful, rewarding and means they are particular and unique to you - which makes them priceless.

Join our Floriculturist and Heritage Gardener, Maiko Ishida, for a workshop that starts with a forage through the woodlands and gardens to gather natural materials, before using them to create a host of decorations.

Includes: Tea & coffee on arrival with the Bakery’s signature cinnamon bun, ending with lunch at the Garden Café.