Experience the magic of a late autumn foraging walk at Cowdray, guided by George, our Estate Forager.

This November walk offers a unique opportunity to explore the wild landscapes as the year’s cycle draws to a close, while the forest floor remains alive with a vibrant flourish of mushrooms.

George will guide you through a journey of discovery, focusing on the fascinating array of fungi, along with all the late-season plants that provide incredible benefits for our health and wellbeing at this time of year. You’ll learn to identify species, uncover their historical uses, and explore their role in the ecosystem.

This walk will take you through a variety of habitats, each revealing the secrets of seasonal wild foods and the fungi contained in each. Foraging at this time of year fosters a deeper connection to the land, as you gain an understanding of how life continues to thrive even as the landscape grows quiet.

The circular walk begins and ends at the Cowdray Farm Shop overflow car park, and will take approximately 2.5 hours. Be sure to wear suitable footwear for undulating terrain and wet weather if necessary.

Click here to find out more about Foraging walks at Cowdray. George will vary walk locations around the Estate to give you the best walk which encapsulates the season. Please see the reminder email sent out before the event to get the exact start location to your walk.

Meet George, Cowdray’s Forager:

George has been foraging and using wild foods for some years, supplying the freshest foraged wild edibles to some of the country’s top restaurants, chefs and food establishments.

After years of being immersed in the ‘wild’ himself, George now focuses on encouraging others to appreciate the significance of our native countryside, and how we can enjoy and protect it for future generations.

Over his years of foraging George has accrued an in-depth knowledge of our countryside, its diverse habitats and the variety of plants and fungi each contains. He has covered the length and breadth of the country from the Scottish Highlands to the moors and coasts of Cornwall, in search of new native edibles as well as sustainable sources to pick them. Working closely with chefs consulting on what, when and how to use each ingredient to best showcase them has led George to be featured on programmes like BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, following the journey from the forests and fields to fork. George now hopes to inspire you on your own adventure of discovery.