Saturday 22 June 2013

Otley Walking Festival - Saturday 22nd

The first day and the first walk of the Otley Walking Festival for me.

We joined a walk with Craig Worrall - who is a foraging and wild food expert.
We met at Wharfedale Meadows car park before moving on to a car park at the top of Fewston reservoir.
There was a group of 14 including Craig.


We walked along a beautiful river path and stopped at various plants to examine and taste. From Nettles to Burdock to Wild Garlic to Wood Sorrel to Hog Weed  and more,they were all edible and everyone got stuck in and tried them. We then left the river to walk back through some open pasture land. Craig showed us Hawthorne tree, which leaves and blossom are edible, Beech tree, the nuts and leaves also the Elder flower, whose flowers and berries are of the best wild food available.
The whole experience was made all the better by the myths and folklore that Craig new about each plant.
We also saw a Black Water Vole which seemed oblivious to 14 people taking photos of it!!
I have to say I learned a great deal in a 2 hr walk.

Craig was a wonderful guide and has lots to offer the inexperienced forager like myself  to the expert wild food gatherer.
The weather held up and it kept dry until the very last 10 mins.

I would highly recommend his walks and if this what the festival has to offer I cant wait for my walk on Thursday with the Long Distance Walking Association.

Craig Worralls Website :-  Edible Leeds

You can now search for all Walking Festivals in the UK & Ireland on  Walking Festivals UK



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