WFV, Hemsworth Almshouses, 12th November 2024

The full title of this site is Archbishop Holgate Hospital. It is not, however, a hospital as we now understand but rather a place of refuge; one that provides hospitality.

The Mid-Yorks Fungus Group have been including this site on their agenda for several years now and after a conversation last year with Francis Hickenbottom (who leads these forays) it seemed an ideal place for a BEES visit. 

Our group of seven arrived shortly after 10:30 where we were greeted by Francis who directed us to a parking spot and to their toilet facilities. Before we began our foraying he explained the fascinating history of the estate. I think we can all agree that the architecture of the buildings is stunning. It is hard to imagine a more delightful location for a retirement home.

We were blessed to have perfect autumnal weather: a still day with lots of blue sky. I did explain to Anthony, who was making his BEES debut, that this is not typical for a BEES outing !  Angela and Francis kept on exchanging glances. They soon remembered where they knew each other from. Francis had taught Physics to Angela’s children at Ackworth School. What a small world!

Francis then led us slowly around the splendid lawns pointing out a variety of fungi. He told us that these lawns were in the highest category of CHEG grasslands. This acronym = Clubs, Hygrocybes, Entelomas and Geoglossums.  In layman’s terms this means Club fungi, Waxcaps, Pinkgills & Earthtongues. Before lunch we had seen Porcini (Penny Bun), Purple Russulas, Orange Bonnet, Rooting Shank, Blusher, Earthy Powdercaps, loads of yellow clubs (probably 3 or 4 species), Snowy & Cedar Waxcaps, Galerinas, Brittlegill sp, Scutellinia sp, White Spindles, Conifer Conecap, Scarlet/Meadow/Parrot/Heath/Golden & Yellowfoot Waxcaps, Deceiver, Puffballs, Pleated Inkcap plus several species that were new to me: Laxitextum bicolor (this resembled Turkeytail), Collared Fibrecap, Ivory Coral & Pluteus aurantiorugosus (this was lurking inside a fallen trunk !) 

Lunch was on a round bench close to the mini-bus after which we ventured into the wooded area at the back of the main buildings. Further species seen were Shaggy Parasol, Common Bonnet, Glistening Inkcaps, Clustered Bonnets, Schizopora paradoxa, slime moulds & some splendid Shaggy Scalycaps. Francis was able to show us an abandoned Hobby nest.  On returning to the lawned area we saw a group of Slimy Waxcaps making in total nine waxcap species.

We thanked Francis for sparing his time & for making this a memorable day. He was an excellent guide both for his knowledge of the site & his fungi identification skills. We departed at 15:00 & got back to Bradford soon after 16:00. The following day he emailed me with his Earthtongue microscopy results;  Glutinoglossum glutinosum, Geoglossum umbratile & cookeanum. The latter was another one I hadn’t seen before. Francis told me it was a new record for the site for which has over 300 recorded species of fungi !

Thanks also go to our joint drivers, Julia & Kevin.