Pendle Plant Craft’s foraging walks in Lancashire

It seems that Pete Compton is happiest when in the middle of a nettle patch. ‘They are my favourite wild food and favourite plant of all time,’ he explains, ‘with no close second.’

Pete admits that he could wax lyrical about nettles for hours given the opportunity. ‘They are an absolute powerhouse of nutrients, minerals and medicinal properties. They are also steeped in learnings and un-learnings that I think are vital to physical and emotional wellbeing.

‘There are all sorts of ways to consume nettles, with nettle tea having been popular for centuries. Personally, I like to sprinkle dried nettle seeds on my meals and in my coffee.’

- But what about the stings?

‘The more you get used to it over time, it actually becomes quite pleasant.’

The cabin HQ helps people get to grips with the ingredients they've foraged with Pendle Plant Craft (Image: Kirsty Thompson) Anecdotal evidence suggests some people find nettle stings beneficial in reducing hayfever symptoms, and a 2000 study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine found notable improvements in osteoarthritic pain when patients applied stinging nettles to the affected area.

Pete, forager and founder of Pendle Plant Craft, knows firsthand the health benefits that come with nettles and the UK’s many other wonderful weeds.

‘The personal benefits to me of eating more wild and foraged foods are too many to list. I can honestly say, I wouldn’t be here without it. Not only because of health issues I’ve had in the past, but also my mental health.

‘We’re spoilt for choice in the UK when it comes to wild food, but we don’t always notice the edible plants around us or appreciate their benefits. I could probably run a full foraging session in three square feet at the side of a road.

Meadow Cranesbill (Image: Kirsty Thompson) ‘There was a point, coming out of a dark time several years ago where I did a full year living mostly off foraged foods. I’d say more than 80% of my diet was made up of wild food.

‘At the moment, it’s more like 10-20%. I still rely on cultivated foods, but foraging is a significant and enriching part of my lifestyle. The knock-on effects of an operation late last year led to my healthy lifestyle patterns slipping. So I’m excited to get out again on that path towards being more connected, healthier and happier. I’m looking forward to starting again and possibly finding learnings I might’ve previously missed. I’m motivated to build my wild food intake back up again to at least 30-40%.’

Pete has always loved the outdoors and it has taken a more central role in his life in recent years. ‘Bushcraft and survival has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. Camping, building dens and climbing trees are some of my happiest childhood memories.

‘I’ve spent much of my adult life working in supporting people via different roles such as learning disabilities services, young peoples’ homeless shelters and creative arts and music organisations. My last role before beginning Pendle Plant Craft was as a forest school leader.

Pete Compston from Pendle Plant Craft explaining the benefits of Nettles and nettle seeds to Gillian Jones, Spike, Christine Murray and Ellen Davies (Image: Kirsty Thompson) ‘I find music, creative arts, and nature to be some of the most successful tools in engaging and supporting people.

‘The great outdoors became more important to me than ever almost a decade ago, when I had a bad injury followed by some pretty scary health issues and some exceptional traumas. I effectively lost everything, and that gave me an opportunity (that I wasn’t then aware of) to deepen my connection to nature.

‘I continued to learn more and more about trees, plants and mushrooms and you might say that I have learned from them too. Developing my understanding of symbiosis led me to acknowledge that when alone in a woodland learning about nature, I was giving it all my energy without any outside noise from human relationships and the like. It was absolutely transformative for my physical health and my own mental wellbeing.’

Now, Pete spends the majority of his time running Pendle Plant Craft (for which he doesn’t get paid) and makes his living outside this, with organisations and individuals commissioning him to carry out foraging walks, nature connection sessions, wild cooking and general outdoor education experiences.

Nettles are Pete's favourite plant, full stop. (Image: Kirsty Thompson) ‘Pendle Plant Craft came about in the early days of lockdown when we were allowed out in groups of six. I saw that lots of people were panic buying and worrying about supermarkets, as well as struggling with their mental health. What I had learned about nature and wild food had helped me massively, so I put a post on Facebook to see if anyone wanted to come for a walk and find out more about the accessible free food all around us.

‘As the group grew, it was lovely to share what we learned together with all different valuable perspectives and understandings.

‘Pendle Plant Craft belongs to everyone and that’s what makes it so amazing. The kindness, empathy and understanding I saw everyone sharing is what built it. It soon became a formidable support network.

‘Many people experience a barrier when starting to include wild foods in their diets. Even those who came on walks with us regularly were initially nervous about eating wild food at home. This changed dramatically when Pendle Council kindly gifted us a cabin on Lomeshaye Marsh Nature Reserve which allows us to cook and craft together, so more people can see how easy it actually is to use these amazing ingredients.’

Self heal (Image: Kirsty Thompson) Some people might be daunted by the idea of eating wild food in case they get it ‘wrong’. But Pete believes that if you learn the etiquettes of foraging and stick to them, it’s as safe as shopping in a supermarket.

‘I’ve never had a severe adverse reaction to anything I’ve eaten.

‘However I will admit there was one instance where I foolishly mixed up common sorrel (Rumex acetosella) with a young lords and ladies plant (Arum maculatum). I may have been showing off in front of a girl I was on a date with in the early days of my foraging learnings…

‘It’s not a poisonous plant but it is a nasty irritant. I only had a small part of a leaf, but that was enough to leave me feeling like I had swallowed razor blades for about half an hour.

Pete Compston discussing uses of Common Hogweed (Image: Kirsty Thompson) ‘So, make sure you’re confident in your identification. But don’t be afraid; you probably already know more wild foods than you give yourself credit for. Start with common ones like nettles, dandelions, thistles, brambles, sticky weed, dock and clover. They’re the ones I mainly include in my diet and they grow abundantly everywhere because they are so packed with nutrients.

‘The rarer, harder-to-find plants add a treasure hunt element to the experience. One of my most exciting finds was a large patch of giant puffball mushrooms (Calvatia gigantea). These impressive fungi can grow to larger than the size of a football and are delicious when sliced and cooked. To most mushroom hunters they are nothing out of the ordinary, but they’d been on my ‘hit list’ for a long time, I only ever found them too late when they were no longer good enough to eat. Then one day I drove past a field with around 20 humongous and perfect giant puffballs. A single one in a wild soup fed about 20 people.

‘Foraging is not just about finding food though; it’s about reconnecting with nature, fostering community, and enhancing wellbeing. I strongly believe that acting more symbiotically with our surroundings is the best way to improve our physical and mental health.

‘Pendle Plant Craft’s foraging walks are open to everyone, from beginners to seasoned experts. Everyone is welcome and the walks are completely free of any cost or pressure. Come for as little or as long as you like. Just turn up, and if it’s not for you, you can easily slope off.’

Pendle Plant Craft is a non-profit, welcoming community with a cabin HQ at Lomeshaye Marsh Nature Reserve. Pete and other volunteers run regular free foraging walks for all, as well as free cooking and crafting gatherings. Pendle Plant Craft has a thriving social media community which is a great online learning resource - with members asking questions and sharing ideas, information and inspiration.

pendleplantcraft.co.uk