Foraging Walks & Courses in Cumbria
Learn to identify, pick and cook wild food safely, on a small-group foraging walk through Cumbria’s woods and coast.
Lots of people would love to forage but don’t trust themselves to tell what’s safe to eat from what isn’t. Wild food can feel like knowledge that belongs to other people. But does it have to be that way? I don’t think so. Most of it comes down to knowing what to look for, and the quickest way to learn that is out on a walk with someone pointing it out beside you.
That’s what my foraging walks are: practical, beginner-friendly foraging courses in the woods and along the coast. I show you how to identify each plant, what it can be confused with, how much to pick and how to use it. Then you taste what we’ve found. No experience needed.
Choose your walk
Taster walk (2 hours)
The easiest way to start. A short walk close to home, learning the wild plants that grow in your area, with biscuits and a drink along the way.
Foraging walk with a hot meal (about 4 hours)
My main walk. A longer forage through woodland or along the coast, learning to identify 15 to 20 wild plants, then a hot meal at the end, such as a risotto or soup.
Backyard Foraging (2 hours)
An introduction to the plants on your doorstep: the everyday plants you walk past without a second look, what’s safe, what isn’t, and what you can do with them.
Home Ed Foraging Club
A monthly foraging session for home-educated young people of all ages, with their supervising adults. The place changes month to month, depending on what’s in season. Priced per child, with under-4s free.
What you’ll learn on every walk
- How to identify wild plants step by step, and the look-alikes to avoid
- How to forage ethically: how much to take, and what to leave alone
- What’s in season, and where to look for it in woodland and on the coast
- Where you’re allowed to forage, and how to respect the land
- Simple ways to prepare and use what you find
What’s included
- A guided walk with me, in a small group
- Tastings along the way, prepared by me
- Biscuits and a drink on the taster walk, a hot meal on the longer walk
- Answers by email afterwards, if a question comes up once you’re home
Why learn with me
I’m Bex Northman, a Member of the Association of Foragers. I teach foraging and herbal remedy making across Cumbria, Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. I started foraging because I wanted better food for my family. Picked from the right places, wild plants haven’t been sprayed, and they give you a far wider range of plants and flavours than the same few crops that fill the supermarket shelves.
I’m not a medical herbalist, and I won’t pretend to be. What I teach is practical: the plants, the traditional methods, and the confidence to make it again at home.
What people say
Foraging walk
“She knows her wild plants inside out and shares her wisdom with infectious enthusiasm… We learned loads identifying edible plants, understanding their uses, and even hearing quirky folklore along the way. Bex didn’t just teach; she empowered us to forage safely and confidently.”
Deborah, five-star Google review
Festival foraging walk
“Bex did a lovely foraging walk at the Feel Good Festival. She was interesting and informative and I will now eat many things from my garden with confidence.”
Alison, Facebook recommendation
Practical details
- How long: 2 hours for a taster or Backyard Foraging, about 4 hours for the walk with a meal.
- Where: woodland and coastal sites across Cumbria. Each date below lists its meeting point.
- Group size: small, so everyone gets a proper look at every plant.
- Fitness: gentle walking on uneven, sometimes muddy ground, with plenty of stops.
- What to bring: sturdy waterproof footwear (wellies or walking boots), warm layers, a waterproof jacket and a water bottle. A bag or basket if you’d like to take a little home.
- Dietary needs and allergies: tell me when you book.
- Ages: 16 and over, and under-18s come with a participating adult. The Home Ed Foraging Club is for families, with an adult supervising throughout. Each date gives its own age guidance.
- Weather: walks go ahead in most weather, so dress for it. If conditions are dangerous, I’ll cancel and offer you a full refund or a place on another date.
- Prices and spaces: shown on each date below. Concessionary places are available on selected dates.
Next walk dates
Prices and spaces are shown on each date.
No dates showing? New walks go up through the year, following the seasons. Join the newsletter to hear when the next one opens.
Where next
Go deeper
Masterclasses
A full day on one subject, such as wild mushrooms or hedgerow herbs. For when a walk has you hooked.
Make it an occasion
Foraging Experiences
Foraging plus something indulgent, like Fungi & Fire, with Bex’s famously mouth-watering cooking.
More questions? Read the FAQs →
Foraging safety. Never eat a wild plant or fungus unless you’re completely certain what it is. On a walk, only taste what I’ve identified and prepared. You’re responsible for your own plant identification after the walk: if in doubt, leave it out. Any traditional uses we talk about are shared for educational purposes only. Wild & Weeds does not provide medical advice, and Bex is not a medical herbalist. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or have a health condition, consult a healthcare professional before eating or using any wild plant. Read our Terms and Conditions →