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Region · updated 12 November 2026
Mushroom season in South East 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.
76%
Mycelium activity
High activity
risingRain: 26 mm in 3 days, 29 mm in 7 dayssoil 9°C
Mushroom season in South East 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 · 12 November 2026
South East England picked up a reasonable amount of rain three to four weeks back, slightly above the norm, and the air has stayed unusually humid this week. Soil is holding at a comfortable 8.8°C.
This points to a good outing. Ceps and bay boletes should turn up in woodland, parasols in open grassy fringes, and wood blewits in the leaf litter. Worth making time for this weekend, conditions are firmly in your favour.
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.
The South East has some of the best fungus woods in Britain: the New Forest, with about 2,700 species, Windsor Great Park, with over 1,000 larger fungi, and the ancient beech pollards of Burnham Beeches. Ashdown Forest in East Sussex is rich too, with rare species such as the tiered tooth.
Picking fungi is not allowed in the New Forest or on Ashdown Forest, and the City of London asks visitors not to pick at Burnham Beeches. Windsor Great Park asks you to take photos and leave the fungi, and the Berks, Bucks and Oxon and Surrey Wildlife Trusts don't allow picking on their reserves.
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 12 November 2026 mycelium activity in South East England is 76%, 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.
The South East has had a decent soak, about 105mm over the past few weeks, a touch above the usual amount, with humid air helping keep things from drying back out. Soil remains mild at 9°C, so growth has not stalled.
This sets up a good spell for ceps, bay boletes, parasols and wood blewits in local woodland, particularly where leaf litter is thick and shade lingers. Worth planning a dedicated trip this weekend, chances are reasonably strong.
The South East has had slightly wetter weather than normal recently, with a damp spell building over the past few weeks, and the air this week is holding more moisture than usual. Soil sits at a mild 9.2°C, keeping conditions favourable for autumn fungi.
There's good activity to be had, with ceps, bay boletes, parasols and wood blewits all worth seeking out. A solid weekend for getting out, though the very peak has likely just passed.
Rainfall in the South East has sat close to the seasonal norm over the past few weeks, but the air this week is drier than usual, which tends to slow things down even with decent soil warmth at 9.5°C.
You're on the back end of the main season, and the dry air will keep things more modest. Still worth checking likely spots for ceps, bay boletes, parasols and wood blewits, but treat it as a steady outing rather than a big one.
The South East has had slightly more rain than usual recently, though this week's air is drier than normal, which may be holding things back a little. Soil remains mild at 9.9°C, with the season now well past its peak.
A modest outing is reasonable rather than a big one. You might still turn up ceps, bay boletes, parasols or wood blewits, but search damper, sheltered ground rather than open, exposed areas.
South East England has seen rainfall close to its usual level for this time of year, but the air has turned noticeably drier this week, and soil sits around 10.2°C, still on the mild side. That drying air is the main thing holding activity back from being better.
You're in the back half of the autumn season, so ceps, bay boletes, parasols and wood blewits are all possible finds, best sought in sheltered, leaf-littered ground that retains moisture. Worth a walk, but keep expectations moderate and check damper micro-habitats.