From Forest Floor to Frontline: Unearthing Fungi and Fighting Sepsis

Autumn at Soulton Hall always delivers a unique sense of wonder, and this year.

We were thrilled to share it with visitors on today’s “Unearthing Autumn’s Hidden Gems: A Fungi Foray,” hosted in partnership with the fantastic Shropshire Fungus Group, turned out to be a truly special day.

We were delighted to grant rare public access to the historic Soulton Wood—the setting affectionately known as the ‘As You Like It’ wood.

Expert guides led a fascinating journey into the often-overlooked world of fungi. It was a memorable few hours, uncovering a diverse and sometimes surprising array of fungal treasures thriving in the shadows of our historical woodland. The sheer curiosity and excitement of the group were infectious!

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The Fungi Foray was not just about the beauty of nature; it was a powerful opportunity we seized to raise critical awareness and funds for the UK Sepsis Trust. Sepsis, a devastating and life-threatening reaction to an infection, remains a leading cause of preventable death in the UK.

We want to extend our deepest thanks to everyone who supported the cause. Your collective generosity was truly heartwarming and helped us raise a fantastic £195.00 net—a brilliant start even before we stepped onto the trail! Every single contribution is vital for the charity’s mission of raising awareness and supporting those affected.

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If you’re interested in learning more about the signs and seriousness of sepsis, please do visit The UK SEPSIS TRUST website.

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Shropshire Fungus Group provided th following narative of the event:

Parking in front of the majestic Tudor manor of Soulton Hall, set high expectations for the day. These were realised as we were kindly given open access to the Moot hall, where coffee and toilets were at hand for the day. [We were] welcomed us in person, with a brief outline of his home’s links to Shakespeare and the play “As You Like It”. A nice bonus was that fifteen tickets for this open foray had been sold and raised just under £200 for Sepsis UK

The woodland was indeed the promised land for a fungal foray, with an unprecedented(?) 159 species being found. Magpie Ink caps and The Blusher in perfect condition wowed onlookers and Nick’s ultra violet torch made the sulphur tuft fungus glow fluorescent green to everyone’s delight.

Clive was working so hard teaching and identifying, to the point that I was concerned that he would spontaneously combust! The Latin names poured out as did more accessible features and facts. John and Karen added to this teaching and all of those new to the world of fungus went away delighted. We are very lucky to have so much expertise upon which to draw.

We were also treated to a table and chairs outside the house [that inspired] Thomas Lodge, who wrote the source book for, “As You Like” It and despite the threat of Storm Amy we sat in the sun enjoying our lunch.

It really was a place of peace and harmony as Shakespeare himself noted!

The full list of what was found is below.