Chestnut

28th November 2023

A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap

And munched and munched and munched.

“Give me” quoth I

“Aroint thee, witch” the rump-fed runnion cries.

Her husband’s to Aleppo gone, master o’ th’ Tiger;

But in a sieve I’ll thither sail,

And like a rat without a tail,

I’ll do, I’ll do, I’ll do.

FIRST WITCH: Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 3

CHESTNUT

Chestnuts appear 4 times in Shakespeare, twice as the nut and twice to describe a colour.

Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa) was possibly introduced to Britain in the Roman period although recent archaeological analysis has cast doubt on this theory (Current Archaeology, 2019). John Gerard (1597), a contemporary of Shakespeare, states that “there be sundry woods of Chestnuts in England, as a mile and a half from Faversham in Kent, and in sundry other places.”

The Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) was introduced much later, sometime in the 16th century. John Gerard (1597) tells us that the Horse Chestnut “groweth in Italy and sundry places of the East countries. It is now growing with Mr. Tradescent at South Lambeth.” The nuts of Horse Chestnut are not eaten but they provide conkers for the playground game. Sweet Chestnut has long, single leaves with a serrated edge and Horse Chestnut has compound leaves of five parts or lobes.

More Information

BSBI Plant Atlas 2020: Sweet Chestnut, Horse Chestnut

Current Archaeology, 2019: That old chestnut: how sweet chestnuts came to Britain

John Gerard, 1597 The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes (via Archive.org)

Woodland Trust Tree Guide: Sweet Chestnut, Horse Chestnut