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FOREST OF LIGHT
It’s the season to kick through crunchy leaves and bathe in golden autumn light in Nottinghamshire’s Sherwood Forest, one of the best surviving examples of oak-birch woodland in the UK. Join a tour to hear jaunty tales of medieval life from the Sheriff of Nottingham’s Master of Arms on 12 November, or walk beside pilgrim John Miles for tales of Robin Hood’s heroic exploits on 26 November. visitsherwood.co.uk
NEW NATIONAL TRAIL
Greens, golds and pinks of autumn colour the view of Kidsty Pike from Rough Crag above Riggindale in the Lake District National Park, on the Coast to Coast walking route. This popular 197-mile path, devised by Alfred Wainwright in the 1970s, has now been awarded National Trail status and given a £5.6 million funding boost to upgrade and develop the route.
SEEDS OF HOPE
Seeds are an important food source for shy Eurasian bullfinches in autumn and winter, when their favourite foods – tree buds, shoots and flowers – are scarce. Give them a helping hand by providing clean water in your garden and filling your birdfeeders with sunflower seeds, twice daily in harsher weather if you can.
LEAPING SPIDER
Furry and with a flattened shape, the fencepost jumping spider (Marpissa muscosa) is mostly found in south-east England, hiding on wooden posts and on the top of drystone walls. Our largest jumping spider, it doesn’t spin webs but uses its large eyes to spot prey from a distance, then pounces using its short powerful legs.
Top five…
Cemeteries to visit this Halloween
Many of our cemeteries are managed with nature in mind, supporting a wide range of habitats, including relict grasslands, heath, woodland, scrub, hedges and ponds. For thrills and wildlife, visit one this month
GLASGOW NECROPOLIS
Lanarkshire Established by the Merchants’ House of Glasgow in 1831, this 15-hectare Victorian garden cemetery looms over Scotland’s second city like a sticklebacked giant. The Necropolis is the second-largest greenspace in Glasgow’s centre, a mosaic of woods, sandy slopes, ivy-shrouded rocks and un-mown grassland that supports a host of wildlife, including roe deer, common pipistrelle bats and 25 species of hoverfly.
SOUTHERN CEMETERY
Greater Manchester There are six Grade II-listed buildings within this huge municiple cemetery (pictured), much of which is managed to encourage native wildlife.
ARNOS VALE
Bristol Woodland dominates much of this site, established at the start of Queen Victoria’s reign. In November, look for rare visitors, such as firecrests and woodcocks.
LINTHORPE CEMETERY AND NATURE RESERVE
North Yorkshire Seek out fascinating fungi, such as velvet shanks and sulphur tufts, as you wander among Linthorpe’s peaceful, owl-haunted mature woodland.
CALDRAGH CEMETERY
County Fermanagh Like something from an Arthur Ransome novel, this moss-enveloped graveyard is hidden on Lough Erne’s eerie Boa Island.
ID guide
Six bracket fungi to spot
Hunt for colourful shelf-shaped fungi this season with our handy guide
DRYAD’S SADDLE
Cerioporus squamous
Found on broadleaf trees, this very common stemmed bracket fungus is found from spring until late summer. It is sometimes called ‘pheasant’s back’ because the brown scales on top resemble the appearance of a pheasant’s plumage.
Edibility: Technically edible but can be tough.
CHICKEN OF THE WOODS
Laetiporus sulphureus
This mildly parasitic bracket fungi is found from late spring to early autumn. The top is sulphur yellow, the flesh is ivory white and the porous underside is a brilliant yellow that fades to white as the mushroom goes over. Found on living or dead oak, cherry, chestnut and yew trees.
Edibility: Edible and good.
TURKEY TAIL
Trametes versicolor
This common fungi grows multiple, fan-shaped brackets. Its Latin genus name roughly translates as ‘several colours’ as, like a turkey’s tail, the brackets have a concentric ringed pattern. It is found mostly on fallen broadleaf trees, occasionally dead conifers.
Edibility: Tough, inedible but sometimes dried for tea.
BEEFSTEAK
Fistulina hepatica
The aptly named beefsteak fungi is a red to reddish brown, polypore bracket fungi growing up to 30cm across. When cut, it ‘bleeds’ a red blood-like liquid. The flesh is striated or mottled, like a hunk of meat. Found on dead or dying oaks, occasionally chestnut trees.
Edibility: Edible but not to everyone’s taste.
BIRCH POLYPORE
Piptoporus betulinus
Growing on dead or dying birches, this hoof-shape fungus is light brown to grey on top, sometimes with a white margin; its underside is porous and white. Otzi, the 5,300-year-old Alpine ‘Iceman’, carried birch polypore, perhaps to help expel whipworms.
Edibility: Not eaten, sometimes dried for tea.
ARTISTS’ BRACKET
Ganoderma applanatum
Found on deciduous trees, the artists’ bracket is one of the Ganoderma species, a collection of woody, hoofshaped fungi. When young, its underside can turn from white to brown. Its cousin, the lacquered bracket (Ganoderma lucidium), is used in Chinese medicine.
Edibility: Too woody to consume.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR FUNGI AT COUNTRYFILE.COM
On the plot
Jobs for the garden with Rekha Mistry
A cool breeze passes over my ears and between the gaps in my hat. A morning frost lightly coats the kale and cabbage leaves around the allotment. As the autumn days grow shorter, so does the list of jobs to do on the plot – but there is still work to be done. I ruffle the papery covering off a handful of garlic bulbs, split them open and plant out the cloves, being sure to protect the area from bird pests with netting. They will soon establish, just before the soil temperatures cool over the next month. The greenhouse is still full with leafy greens, and to prevent botrytis (grey mould), I must keep this green hub ventilated. It may be the last pandemonium of parakeets I see or hear this month, sadly, as the birds break away and pair up, leaving the main roost to make new homes in the hollows of trees.
The next I’ll hear from them will be the chirping of young chicks, marking the arrival of spring. As I heel-in the bare soft-fruit shrubs, I can’t help but think of spring. This peaceful task allows my gaze to wander towards the perennial herb containers. Now a little root-bound, I’ll divide them and create new plants. Before I go, come closer… between you and me, I have just placed an order for my potato seeds to avoid disappointment in January. As they say, the early bird catches the worm.
Rekha Mistry is a garden writer and recipe developer. Discover more kitchen-garden inspiration at rekhagardenkitchen.com
This month on the Plodcast
A Taste of the Countryside
This month on the Plodcast we have the final two episodes of season 13: ‘A Taste of the Countryside’, where we meet farmers and food producers who work in harmony with nature.
Episode 13 Head deep into the Northamptonshire countryside to visit the Warner’s Gin distillery near Rothwell, Northamptonshire. Hear Tom Warner’s fascinating insights into why “booze made humanity” and explore the history and lore around gin. Later, we meet Rachel Sutherland, who has the enviable job of tasting the gins for quality – and devising new flavours.
Episode 14 We return to gin makers Warner’s to roam the gardens and grounds with conservation and sustainability officer Johnny Easter. Planting a huge variety of herbs, aromatics and fruits has the knock-on effect of attracting extraordinary numbers of insects and other life. So enjoy this magical safari and find out how gins are flavoured using natural ingredients.
bbccountryfile.podlink.to/plodcast
SEASON FOR READING
Top five autumn literary festivals
Hay Festival Winter Weekend Powys
24–27 November
Conversations, candle-lit storytelling, comedy and music in Hay Castle. hayfestival.com/winter-weekend
Bridport Literary Festival, Dorset
6–12 November
Authors such as George Monbiot, Sheila Hancock and Martin Maudsley discuss their inspirations. bridlit.com
AWrite Highland Hoolie! Highland
11–13 November
Join poet Jackie Kay at the Mallaig festival’s first poetry event. a-write-highland-hoolie.com
Petworth Festival Literary Week, West Sussex
27 October–6 Nov
Hugh Bonneville speaks at this year’s festival. petworthfestival.org.uk
Lavenham Literary Festival, Suffolk
18–20 November
Kate Humble and fellow booklovers gather in this medieval village. lavenhamliteraryfestival.co.uk
Countryfile on TV
BBC One, Sunday evenings 30 October
Countryfile goes behind the scenes of Green Space Dark Skies (greenspacedarkskies.uk), a nationwide art spectacle. Lumenators – thousands of people carrying low-impact lights – form shapes on the four highest peaks in the UK; the resulting 15-minute film reveals the project’s epic scale. 6 NOVEMBER John Craven and presenters lead the annual Countryfile Ramble for BBC Children in Need.
A taste of November
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH CHEESE SAUCE AND PICKLED WALNUTS
Cauliflowers are in season, meaning they are not only cheap but extra tasty, too. Frying the cauliflower off first, rather than boiling it, ramps up the flavour and makes this recipe a bit of a game-changer for this iconic dish. Add pickled walnuts; as condiments go, these pickles pack a punch – sweet and sharp with a dark and inky depth.
November can be a bleak, cold month, and this is exactly the sort of meal you will want to tuck into. Some baked potatoes alongside would be no bad thing.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 large cauliflower
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 30g butter
• 45g plain flour
• 350ml full-fat milk
• 120g Cheddar cheese, grated
• ¼–½ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
• 2 or 3 whole pickled walnuts, sliced
• ½ small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped
METHOD
1. Chop the cauliflower, keeping the florets fairly large, then trim and thinly slice the stalk. Keep any tender pale leaves.
2. Get a large frying pan hot over a moderate heat and add the oil. Fry the cauliflower hard for about eight to 10 minutes, seasoning it with a good pinch of salt and turning often until the florets, leaves and stalks all have a bit of colour, bronzed and even a little charred in places. Remove from the heat and place in a 25cm x 20cm baking dish and put to one side.
3. Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a moderate heat. Add the flour and mix well for two minutes to make a roux.
4. Add the milk in a steady, thin stream, whisking all the while until you have incorporated all the milk. Bring the pan to the boil, then reduce the heat and let the mixture bubble away for around five minutes to thicken and turn creamy. Add threequarters of the cheese and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Preheat the grill to very hot.
6. Pour the cheese sauce over the fried cauliflower in the dish and grill for eight to 10 minutes. Add the remaining cheese and grill for a further five or so minutes, until the cauliflower mix is bubbling and the top has taken on some good colour. Remove from the heat, add plenty of freshly grated nutmeg and scatter over the walnuts and parsley to serve.
Claire Thomson is a chef and food writer. Discover more seasonal recipe ideas at 5oclockapron.com