By far the best area of the County in which to find grassland fungi is in the Pennine foothills. Other fungus-rich grassland types include the mixed crested dog s tail and ryegrass pastures of the lowlands and those transitional between these and the upland types. I once filled two large carrier bags in such a field near Wilmslow. In good years, with morning dews following a hot summer, it can be difficult to know when to stop, for picking is as much fun as eating. As the fields themselves are progressively fertilised or reseeded, however, mushrooms are increasingly scarce.
Botanists enthuse over flowery meadows.
In the time of Henry VIII, an inquisition post mortem listed the holdings of Peter Legh in Lyme Handley, the parish which corresponds very largely to the present extent of Lyme Park. This adds up to roughly the present day parish. There ought to be some remnants of this woodland area within the Park. Indeed there are, but we should be wary lest we allow our preconceptions to run away with us. The park had held red and fallow deer and wild cattle from medieval times.