Wild foods & Ancient Britain
This ancestral skills course is designed to bring modern day context to Britains ancient past. By understanding more about our hunter gatherer ancestors and their everyday tasks here in Britain we can develop a kinship with the land, exploring ideas of aboriginally and how outdoor journeys can be achieved without the clutter of modern gadgets and gear.
We are nature
Join us for a walk on the wild side, whether you are looking to further your knowledge, or simply connect with nature - you'll find that our passionate and knowledgeable instructors will give you a wonderful experience of Britains wild historic landscape. You'll have hands-on experience identifying, gathering and cooking wild foods, as well as spending time on various Stone Age crafts associated with the hunter gatherer. All in a fantastic setting whether it be the moors, forests or ancient meadows.
This course is designed to provide our students with an insight into Mesolithic skills however the experience also aims to teach principles of Kinship through learning ecological knowledge incorporated within most aspects of the journey throughout the course.
Exploring Ancestral skills & ancient crafts on a woodland Journey…
Seasonal and wild
Summer
Summer brings the return of the sun, a time for the forager to harvest wild foods. Join us in the woods in summer to gather fungi, berries and nuts. Learn how to dry and smoke foods over the fire first hand in this experience. The days are longer and it's a great time to slow down and pass on our knowledge of the landscape, especially for younger ones. On our summer course we'll gather wild medicinals that we can make natural herbal remedies with for the coming winter.
Autumn
Autumn reminds us that the sun is drawing away, but for the forager it's a time to migrate to the Hazel woods and old Oaks, the deciduous woodlands where we'll find an abundance of wild foods, from acorns, hazelnuts, roots and fungi. Join us to cook wild foods under an autumn canopy, make wild recipes and herbal remedies for the coming months.
Wild game preparation
We like to involve wild game in our courses alongside our wild foods that we gather during the course. We will always supply locally procured sustainable wild game such as Roe deer(venison) Goose, Squirrel, Hare, Wood Pigeon, Salmon & Trout.
We treat all wild animals with a great deal of respect and like to show our students how to use every part of the animal so that there is no waste. Before butchering the animal, we always give thanks to the animal.
What to Expect:
“Into Wilderness Bushcraft aims to share an insight into Britain's landscape and how indigenous pathways shape our relationship with nature. Pathways to indigenation combine principles of Kinship, ecological knowledge, primitive skills and ancient crafts all of which connect our students with the Natural world.”
Upon arriving you'll be met by Lewis and Eva, who will introduce the course by explaining the day's itinerary before elaborating on key aspects of the landscape in which the course is conducted.
This doesn't take too long, we like to get things moving and so we begin the journey across the land, stopping at various points of interest to discuss, identify and in most cases showcase the gathering techniques used by the forager for certain wild foods.
You'll have every opportunity to forage for yourself under the guidance of our instructors who will show you what to look for before tasting the wild edibles - We gather enough for personal use during the course and season depending, we forage around 30 different species of plant, fungi, flower, foliage and roots.
After a day foraging around the landscape, following lesser known footpaths we will stop to enjoy simply being in the Nature. Following this we will make wild drinks such as Elderflower cordial, Nettle tea, Dandelion and Burdock before cooking on a fire. During this time, our instructors can demonstrate a wild recipe using the Foraged foods and simple ingredients.
A workshop in the woods…
Like any of our Hunter Gatherer ancestors here in Britain, life for the most part was spent on the move. We will use the landscape around us as we go, finding the right place to settle in for the evening.
Construction of a simplistic camp -
Once ‘camp’ is completed, students will have the opportunity to put Stone Age technology and materials that have been gathered on the journey to use. Creating natural plant fiber cordage, a primitive Fishing set, bone tools and of course flint. (Arrow heads) There may be opportunity to try bark baskets and a range of natural crafts as well…
Evening meal in the woods
Try a hand at aboriginal style cooking, using embers and wild ingredients.
In the morning we’ll enjoy a light breakfast, sit spaces within the woodland and a continuation of crafts before heading out once more towards the Bronze Age stone circle.
Time to reflect and re examine what has been achieved over the course, putting historical context towards modern sustainability and Ourdoor journeys.
The Seasonal Forager will give you a whole new perspective of the landscape allowing you to safely and sustainably forage wild foods that are on your doorstep. You'll take away a deeper understanding and respect for nature that will open a pathway to indigenous living here in Britain.
The group size will be no more than 10 allowing each student to have one to one instruction from the guide -
Feel free to take pictures at any time or take notes (We often encourage students to make a doodle of the specimen in our note book)
The Option to Wild camp is available
Please bring your own camping gear and be respectful of the land and others.
Also check out other Workshops in Bakewell, Arts events in Bakewell, Fine Arts events in Bakewell.