Connect with nature and understand your landscape on this foraging walk with Cowdray’s Forager, George.

Foraging walks at Cowdray will give you a window through the eyes of a forager. They aim to engage people at all levels of interest and encourage them to get closer to nature to understand the species in our wild spaces a little better. Estate Forager George Linklater will guide you through the fantastic foods and medicines in a variety of habitats focusing on the best in season.

Foraging is a fantastic way to connect with nature because it forces you to think differently about our surroundings and instills an appreciation of all things big and small.

On this late summer foraging walk you will be focusing on the identification and uses of a range of wild vegetables and herbs that can be found all around us. We will look for and discuss the edible mushrooms that can be found at this time. George will guide you through safe edible species. Having both plants and fungi allows us to discuss symbiotic systems of the natural world, exploring the wonderful hidden world that fungi provide and how they are needed by plants and us. George will also demonstrate how flavours and properties of one species can change as it moves through its life cycle.

Species example: Chanterelle Mushroom, Fairy Ring Champignon Beefsteak mushroom, Conifers, Marjoram, Garlic Mustard, Sorrel, Common Hogweed, Yarrow.

Walks will be circular beginning and ending at Benbow Pond and will last approximately 2.5 hours. 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 for your walk. 

Please wear footwear that is suitable for undulating terrain. Click here to find out more about Foraging at Cowdray

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.