Collecting conkers has been a beloved autumn tradition for generations and no matter what age you are, there’s something magical about finding these polished treasures out in nature.

The seeds of the horse chestnut tree, conkers are found inside spiky green husks, which split open when they tumble to the ground.

Horse chestnut trees are actually not native to the UK, but were brought in from the Balkans in the early 1600s. They are now a familiar sight lining roads, filling suburban parks, and shading countryside estates.

There are an estimated 470,000 horse chestnut trees across Great Britain: more than 430,000 in England, about 29,000 in Scotland, and roughly 11,000 in Wales. The trees thrive in temperate, moist soils, meaning they are common in city parks, stately grounds, and rural

See Full Page