Longacre is like the garden of Eden at the moment, absolutely bursting with ripe fruit to pick for free, meadow grass swaying in the breeze, butterflies flitting about with the hum of grasshoppers as your soundtrack!

There are blackcurrants that really need picking, morello cherries to pick before the birds get them, and plenty of gooseberries. The big sprawling jostaberry bushes have some ripe and some not quite ripe fruit on, so just pick the darkest ones. There are redcurrants, some bushes are riper than others because they are different varieties. The single white current bush’s branches are laden; the sweetest of the current berries just becoming ripe. You can even find juneberries, blueberries and autumn olive if you look!

We cut a small patch in the meadow by the oak tree for picnics, and ready for the next TTW event here on 26th July, and cleared some brambles from around the blueberries so you can get to them! We’re back next Monday 7th 9am when we’ll just do some more preening such as tying up the cultivated blackberries to their wire surround. Those patches are starting to come into their own now too! And thanks so much to Jim for keeping the paths cut and clear, it’s a pleasure just to wander round.

So why no you pay a visit soon and bring a pot to fill with fruit! For more information and directions visit Longacre and for a guide to picking the fruit and recipes you can make check out our foraging guide.