Country diary: At this time of year, an ancient urge to forage kicks in | Kate Blincoe

Caistor St Edmund, Norfolk: Rosehips, sweet chestnuts, sloes – there’s an order and a rhythm to their gathering, tied to the season and folklore The government suggests stockpiling , and while tins and candles might prove useful, a more ancient urge kicks in for me at this time of year.

Walking the hedgerows, the colours of jewels entice me, and my pockets fill with rosehips or glossy conkers. It’s ingrained. For a vast stretch of human history, we survived by foraging for food and medicine, even after agriculture became widespread. My…