Foraging

Forage for Food & Medicine Day

Summary

13 Reviews
1 day - Seasonal
Any

Overview

Discover the amazing world of plants and nature through foraging for wild herbal medicine and food with Brigit Anna McNeill. 

Take an in-depth look at wild seasonal plants and herbs growing in the breath-taking grounds of the Sharpham Estate. Learn the folklore, stories and insights that each wild plant holds, and find out their fascinating uses, along with how to gather and identify safely.

"It was amazing, learnt so much! Cannot wait to put what I learnt into practice. Brigit has so much knowledge it and shares it in a fun, digestible way.This day will help you to reconnect to nature and see with new eyes as you taste, touch and begin to understand the uses of the plants that are all around you. 
 

This 1-day course allows you time to connect with the land, meet and harvest wild herbs and make a seasonal wild medicine or food to take home with you, or both. 

This event costs £55 per person for the day and is suitable for adults aged 16 and over. 

Basket

This day is for you if you are:

  • Keen to explore the world of wild food & medicines
  • Interested in learning more about the natural world 
  • Wanting to understand more about your health and wellbeing
  • Enthusiastic about plants and natural remedies
  • aged 16 or over

What you will learn:

  • How to use sight, touch, smell and taste to get an idea of what each plant can do
  • How to use herbs safely
  • How to forage and gather respectfully and safely
  • How to make some remedies from foraged herbs
  • The physical, emotional and spiritual uses of the herb
  • The folklore of the herb
  • Preparations which suit individual herbs
  • How to introduce wild herbs into your life in easy and accessible ways
Take your pick

What should you bring?

  • Snack - our lunch will be early and the foraging walk is a long one, so bring a healthy snack if you get peckish along the way
  • Your packed lunch
  • Hat and warm clothes
  • Waterproofs
  • Good comfy shoes or wellies
  • Paper and pen if you want to take notes
  • Bottle of water
  • 2 clean glass jars (medium or small, not large)
  • A basket with a handle or similar for foraging, if you have one

Schedule

The day runs from 10am to 4.30pm. 

Please follow the signs to the woodland car park on entering the Sharpham Estate (at the top of the hill before descending steeply towards Sharpham House). 

Brigit will meet you in the woodland kitchen, your base camp for the day.

We will start with an introduction and cups of wild plant teas and potions, spending time awakening our senses and grounding into our bodies. We will do an initial foray, building on the introduction and then will return to eat lunch early.

You will be shown how to safely gather and identify wild food & medicine using sight, taste or feel whilst also discovering the medicinal uses of the plants and their folklore.

We will set out on a slow paced 3 to 4-hour forage to discover beneficial weeds, green allies and free wild food. We will be exploring a mixture of woodland, meadow, fields and riverside, taking in the stunning views and beautiful landscape of the Sharpham Estate. It will be beneficial for you to take along a water bottle and snack en route.

On return to the woodland kitchen, there will be the opportunity to watch Brigit demonstrate making a delicious wild food/medicine recipe & everyone will be able to take a jar home.  The day will end with more teas, or wild chai or cocoa, some wonderful seasonal, wild tasters and goodbye together as a group.

Reviews

A 3-page feature by writer Liz Jones, who says after a stay on a 3-night silent retreat in Sharpham House: "Today, I realise that having a few calmer, kinder people in the world can only be a good thing".

Mail online
September 2022
Mail online

Sharpham Trust retreats listed in 10 UK stays that take tranquillity to the next level: "Sharpham House is the place to go if you’re ready to take your quest for tranquillity seriously. There are silent retreats, mindfulness for beginners and “burnout” retreats, too – and all guests are fed delicious vegetarian and vegan food, much of it grown organically in their walled garden"

The Observer travel section - May 2024
The Observer travel section - May 2024

Featuring us at the top of a list of 'the best meditation and mindfulness retreats in the UK' - "A holistic retreat which rejuvenates body and mind"

The Independent
February 2023
The Independent
See all Reviews

Sharpham Trust Woodland Retreats

Woodland Events

Events at the Woodland Campsite, which has its own car park signposted as you drive onto Sharpham Estate.

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Leaders

Brigit-Anna McNeill
Brigit-Anna McNeill Read more +

Costs

This event costs £55 per person and is suitable for adults aged 16 or over.

Terms & Conditions

Please click here to see our booking and cancellations policy

Available dates

2025 13 Apr

Forage for Food & Medicine Day

With Brigit-Anna McNeill
2025 11 May

Forage for Food & Medicine Day

With Brigit-Anna McNeill
2025 22 Jun

Forage for Food & Medicine Day

With Brigit-Anna McNeill
2025 27 Jul

Forage for Food & Medicine Day

With Brigit-Anna McNeill
2025 12 Oct

Forage for Food & Medicine Day

With Brigit-Anna McNeill