Oxfordshire, Blenheim Estate Foraging Courses

We’re lucky to be able to run our courses around the vast grounds of this stunning 18th Century baroque Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. These courses will take place around the Long Hanborough side of the estate. With open grassland and woodland running alongside the River Evenlode, this well established habitat provides a variety of foraging treats throughout the year.

Long Hanborough is within easy reach of Oxford, Banbury, Burford, Aylesbury and even Newbury. Hanborough train station is a short walking distance from this venue, with trains running there from London Paddington.

Please read the full directions below for the meeting point. The course starts there with a short introduction on what to look for, our foraging code and a brief of the Countryside Act, where it relates to foraging.

Then we’ll set off on a roughly 2.5 hour walk around the grounds, teaching you how to identify the different edible and poisonous plants, flowers, fruits and mushrooms that we find.

We will stop along the way for some seasonal homemade refreshments such as our lovely hogweed and wild garlic soup, elderflower champagne or fruit leathers.

We will finish the day off with a lovely wild food lunch based on what we have found. All of our food is seasonal so what we make depends on recent weather and what is around at that time of year. In spring we will be making use of the fresh wild greens and in summer the wild berries and mushrooms.

After the course we will email you a list of everything we talk about on the day; to help you remember what you have learnt.

This course is all outdoors so please dress appropriately for the weather.

Please note: unfortunately this venue is not suitable for dogs.

Private Entrance to Blenheim Estate
Long Hanborough
Witney
Oxfordshire
OX29 8LB

We will meet at a private entrance to Blenheim Estate near Hanborough train station. Please don’t type Blenheim Estate into your navigation system or you will be taken to the main entrance of Blenheim Palace. The post code OX29 8LB will take you there instead.

Once at the main road in Long Hanborough you will have to turn to a private road, there is a red sign advertising Blenheim Estate next to it. The turning that you need to go down is opposite the Churchill Court Hotel. If approaching from the West it is the first left turning after the train station, and if approaching from the East it is the first right turning after the industrial estate.

Once you go down the private lane off the main road, you will pass a house on your right. You can park your car on the side of the lane anywhere after the house, our foraging teacher will be around to meet you.

If arriving by public transport the Hanborough train station is within walking distance of the meeting point. There is a train that runs from London Paddington.

PLEASE DO NOT GO TO THE MAIN BLENHEIM PALACE ADDRESS ON THEIR WEBSITE AS THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE WRONG PLACE.