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Region · updated 10 November 2026
Mushroom season in North West England runs from late summer to late autumn and peaks in early to mid autumn. Right now a good flush is under way: look for bay bolete, parasol mushroom and brown birch bolete. Death cap grows in the same woods, so keep only what you are sure of and check the lookalike comparisons.
70%
Mycelium activity
High activity
risingRain: 3 mm in 3 days, 3 mm in 7 dayssoil 8°C
Mushroom season in North West England runs from late summer to late autumn and peaks in early to mid autumn. Right now a good flush is under way: look for bay bolete, parasol mushroom and brown birch bolete. Death cap grows in the same woods, so keep only what you are sure of and check the lookalike comparisons.
Forager's notes · 10 November 2026
North West England has had a very wet few weeks, well above normal, though the air this week has turned drier than usual, which may slow fresh flushes slightly. Soil sits at 7.8°C, mild for the season.
Still a good time to be out, with ceps, bay boletes, parasols and wood blewits all on the cards. Worth the walk this weekend, even if the drier air means things aren't quite at their best.
233 species in our UK catalogue fruit in November. Check every find.
Bay boleteEdible
Parasol mushroomEdible
Honey fungusConditionally edible
Brown birch boleteEdible
Oyster mushroomEdible
Velvet shankEdibleIn Britain mushrooms follow the rain of two to four weeks earlier more than a shower this week. Switch the layers to rain, temperature or wind and zoom in on your wood.
* Data: Ventusky. Zoom in on the map to check your own forest area in detail.
In the North West, try the Sefton Coast dunes and pinewoods, such as Ainsdale Sand Dunes National Nature Reserve, where a single North West Fungus Group foray found 108 species. In Cumbria, waxcaps grow in the grazed, fertiliser-free grassland at Brown Robin near Grange-over-Sands, and the old beech at Wreay Woods near Carlisle is managed with fungi in mind.
In the Lake District's Forestry England forests, such as Grizedale and Whinlatter, you may pick for your own use except where they ask you not to; picking to sell is not allowed. On nature reserves and other land, check the owner's rules first.
Summer
The first boletes and chanterelles follow summer rain. A dry summer can hold the season back by weeks.
All summer mushrooms →Autumn
The main season, peaking in October. In the south of England it often runs into November.
All autumn mushrooms →Winter
Velvet shank, jelly ear and oyster mushrooms on dead wood during mild spells.
All winter mushrooms →Some of the UK's deadliest mushrooms look like edible ones. There is no antidote, and neither cooking nor drying makes them safe. If you suspect poisoning, call 999 or 112 at once.
England and Wales
Under the Theft Act 1968, picking wild mushrooms is not theft unless you pick them for sale, for reward or another commercial purpose. The Act only covers theft: landowners and local byelaws can still forbid picking, and four rare fungi are protected by law.
Is foraging legal in the UK? →Questions · 4
The season, where to look and what the rules are.
Not sure what you have found? Share a photo and the community will help identify it.
Identify from a photoOn 10 November 2026 mycelium activity in North West England is 70%, which means high activity. The index is recalculated every night from the weather of the last few weeks.
233 species in our UK catalogue fruit in November, among them bay bolete, parasol mushroom, brown birch bolete, oyster mushroom. Deadly species grow in the same woods, so keep only what you are sure of.
In Britain the clearest link is with rain two to four weeks earlier. A single shower after a dry spell rarely makes a difference; a wet week or two usually does.
England and Wales: Under the Theft Act 1968, picking wild mushrooms is not theft unless you pick them for sale, for reward or another commercial purpose. The Act only covers theft: landowners and local byelaws can still forbid picking, and four rare fungi are protected by law.
North West England has had a very wet spell over the past few weeks, rainfall well above the norm, though the air this week has turned drier than usual, with soil still mild at 8°C.
Late in the season but the earlier soaking should still be feeding growth: ceps, bay boletes, parasols and wood blewits are reasonable prospects, particularly in sheltered, moisture-retaining spots. A solid outing is likely, even if the drier air takes some edge off.
North West England has had a substantial soaking, rain well above normal over the past fortnight, though the air has turned quite dry this week. Soil remains mild at 8°C as the season nears its latter stage.
That earlier rain should still be working its way through, making this a decent weekend to get out. Look for ceps, bay boletes, parasols and wood blewits, especially in sheltered woodland that retains moisture.
North West England has had a very wet stretch over the past few weeks, well above the usual for the region, though the air this week has turned notably dry, with soil at a cooler 8°C. The earlier soaking is still feeding the ground even as the surface air dries out.
With autumn well advanced, this is a decent time to look for ceps, bay boletes, parasols and wood blewits in woodland that retained that moisture. Conditions are good rather than outstanding, so a focused walk in sheltered spots should be worthwhile.
North West England stands out with a notably wet spell three to four weeks ago, well above the usual, which bodes well despite the air running drier this week and soil sitting at a cooler 8°C. Overall this supports a decent outing. Ceps, bay boletes, parasols and wood blewits should be findable in damper woodland, especially where that earlier rain soaked in well. A reasonable weekend for a forage, with fair chances of success.
North West England has had a genuinely wet spell, 150mm or so over the past few weeks and above the usual mark, though the air has turned notably dry this week. Soil sits at a cool 8.1°C as the season eases past its peak. Worth heading out to damp woodland, with a fair chance of ceps or wood blewits, though recent dry air may have slowed the flush a little.