Foraging blackberries, sloes etc in North East

[m_rawdin]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum page but I am wondering if anyone knows any good places in Northumberland, Newcastle or County Durham to forage sloes, blackberries or any other fruit good for wine making etc. I have loads of elder bushes near where I work but can't find blackthorn anywhere!

 

[Dutto]

Nowhere near you but blackthorn bushes (the source of sloes) were used extensively by farmers in England for cattle enclosures around their fields so my advice is to find a local area where they still use hedges around fields rather than wire fences or stone walls.

I think that the best way to search out foraging sources is on a pushbike. You are going slow enough to check out the hedgerows and fast enough to cover a lot of distance in a day.

After riding around our local area we can now source any amount of apples, crab-apples, sloes, blackberries, rose hips and plums when they are in season; and the joy of it is that they are all free!! :thumb: :thumb:

 

[m_rawdin]

Ah soon sound advice there, I think I'm going to get out of the city on my bike and see what I can find!