AN abundance of stinging nettles may conjure up memories of sore legs and futile searches for dock leaves for many for us. But at Hadleigh park it means for a great day out foraging and a tasty lunch.

I should have known better, however, than to turn up at a stinging nettle forage wearing sandals, but then again, it had been quite a few years since I had experienced that itchy sting from a nettle.

Oblivious to my fate, I went along to Hadleigh Park to take part in a day picking nettles and learning all about the herbaceous perennial plant.

I met up with park ranger Ansgar Aldridge, our knowledgeable guide for the day, and slowly more people arrived and then nine of us, five adults and four children, set off into the park.

“The nettles we want are found in shady areas. We will pick the young top leaves and leave the rest for wildlife,” said Ansgar, as we walked along the forest path.

On our way, Ansgar spotted the white dead nettle which can be mistaken for nettles, but is unrelated. A bit further down we came across a garlic leaf which after we rolled up a few to eat realised it really did taste very strongly of garlic.

“Our bodies are said to be very good at detecting if a taste is good for us, but seeing as we have not used that for the past 100 years it’s probably best not to rely on it now,” said Ansgar, who kept a watchful eye on what plants we were sampling.

When we got to Woodland Path, we picked up a pair of gloves and a plastic bag each and started picking the nettles.

“Nettles love nitrogen and that’s one reason they pop up where there have been human settlements,” explained Ansgar.

“It’s probably also the reason nettles were used for so much in the past because they were available right on people’s doorsteps.”

There are a long list the of benefits relating to nettles, according to Ansgar, including being used to treat arthritis, anemia, hay fever, kidney problems and pain.

Also, due to its high vitamin K content fresh nettle was used in folk remedies to stop bleeding, while the Romans were believed to hit themselves all over with stinging nettles to warm their bodies in order to brave the cold British weather.

Nettles also make a great shampoo, apparently, leaving your hair very shiny.

Having collected a bowlful of the green leaves, without wanting to be a wimp I counted up my stings secretly. I got off lightly with five.

Ansgar then showed us how an expertly rolled up nettle can actually sooth a sting and when rolled up it can also be eaten raw. Once we had enough nettles, about three bags full, we headed back to cook up our find.

“Nettles are 20 per cent protein, so we don’t need any more protein from the bugs,” joked Ansgar. “So we’ll make sure to wash them well before cooking them.”

It seems that, aside from being a cure-all plant, the nettle is also a nutritional food. Apart from vitamin K, it is also rich in vitamins A, C, D, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium. The humble stinging nettle is clearly underrated.

We first gave the nettles a thorough wash and then added them to onions, potatoes and stock in a pan.

It takes 87 degrees to kill of all the stings, so we made sure the soup was boiling and left to simmer.

With the group feeling suitably virtuous after foraging, we sat down to taste the fruits of our labour.

The nettles tasted a lot like spinach once cooked and the soup was really delicious.

It would have been even better mixed with some cream, but you can’t have everything.

With our stings all but faded we headed home, but everyone agreed they wouldn’t look at stinging nettles in the same way again.

l For a family day out learning about all Hadleigh Park has to offer plus how to make a shelter, light a fire and then cook your lunch there is a Survival for Softies event taking place on Wednesday, June 2, from 10.30am. Suitable for families with children aged eight and over. £5 per child. Pre-booking is essential, call 01702 551072.