Identify, learn about, forage for and cook edible roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits of our common plants.  In the autumn, we will focus mainly on mushrooms.

The SPRING course will be led by Nick Miller & Jude Greenan, who will identify the many different forms of salads and herbs that you will find here, depending on the seasonal weather.  Click on their names above to see more about them.  There will also be a rabbit skinning demonstration by Neil Catchpole at the end of the day.

There are such a huge variety of plants that there would be no point in giving out handouts, but do have a look at the reference booklist below.

Jude will also be running, with Vanessa Neville, the Natural Skincare course in November.  See the website for details.

The AUTUMN course will be led by Ian Rose, who will identify fungi,  & Jude Greenan, who will tell you about plants and their uses.  Neil Catchpole will demonstrate how to skin a rabbit at the end of the day, and will lead a volunteer through the process.  He might also entertain you with a few suitable traditional songs.

Comments from participants:

I have found this fascinating.  Your place is really special.  I love all your careful details:  lunch, the woods, the buildings, storytelling, the leaders - I will treasure this day for a long time.

A very relaxed and informative day.  Course content full of interest and delivered with clarity and courtesy.  Pleasant welcome set the tone for friendly atmosphere - Ian, Penny and John were excellent communicators..

Enjoyed the foraging, loved the lunch.  I felt so full of delicious food I could hardly move!  Can't wait to try out the recipes.

Loved the walks in the morning and Ian, Anne and Nick's knowledge.  Found John's rabbit skinning fascinating.

I loved all aspects of the course.  So many of my questions were answered.  Thank you for a very welcoming, friendly and fun day.

Had an excellent day, realy good fun.  Loved the walks.  Ian and Nick were fantastic helpers, don't think there was anything they didn't know between them.  Anne was an excellent host, really helpful.  Loved the food as well.  Was great that not only did we get to keep what we found, we were also given recipes as well.  Will recommend this course to others and may even come back in the spring or summertime.

The venue and catering were absolutely stunning!  The content was exactly what I needed - it refreshed and extended my knowledge.  Both tutors were very open and answered lots of questions while showing their ample knowledge and experience.  The handouts were good too, especially for me, the list of plants, which will allow further reading.  Peter Robinson

Perhaps do course over a weekend as there was just so much to learn but it was excellent. Food fab and what a lovely idea to cook what you pick. Clare

Excellent day!  Interesting, informative, very well presented & organised.  Thank you!

Thank you so much for the wonderfully warm welcome you gave us ... We enjoyed all aspects of the day, the accompanied walks, the expertise of Nick and Jude and the wonderful food you and your husband provided.  We also appreciated the skinning and preparation demonstration.  We will certainly tell our friends about you and your lovely home.  Once again thank you so much.  Ann  & Stephen H

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

This is such a huge subject that any handouts we might generate would not do it justice.  We suggest instead the following books:

Edible Wild Plants & Herbs, Pamela Michael, Grub Street, London 1980 (revised)  (My favourite book for recipes)

Food for Free, Richard Mabey, illustrated by Marjorie Blamey, Collins, London 1972

Wild Food, Roger Phillips (photographic guide), Pan Books, London 1983

Peter Jordan's Mushroom Foray Guide, Tasty Mushroom Partnership (a set of plastic-covered cards identifying 50 different mushrooms with illustrations and descriptions).

Mushrooms, Roger Phillips, Macmillan, London 2006 (1,250 illustrations and descriptions)

The Complete Book of Herbs & Spaces,  Claire Loewenfeld and Philippa Back, David & Charles, Newton Abbot 1975

The Concise British Flora in Colour, W Keble Martin, Ebury Press 1965

Wild Flowers of Britain, Roger Phillips, Pan Books, London 1977