Country diary: Sci-fi fungi round a favourite old ash | Gwyneth Lewis

Cwmtydu, Ceredigion: The tree has been laid low by dieback, but the treasures nearby bring to mind miniature brains, the smell of leather and bread-and-butter puddingAs I reach the top of the cliff, a lone raven soughs south on an errand, flying at head height. In the bronze and iron ages, headlands like Castell Bach and Ynys Lochtyn in Ceredigion were used as summer camps for festivals and coastal foraging. This holiday season is drawing to a close as I scramble off the Wales Coast Path on to Banc Pen y Parc to visit a favourite tree.Even though it should be wizened by the prevailing westerlies and dieback - which is rampant in this valley - this huge ash hasn't lost its ambition. I pace out its dimensions: 18 yards (16 metres) for the trunk, 23 yards for the crown. Its lichened trunk grows horizontally, leaning on its elbow, so I can perch in branches that should be inaccessible. It kicks in the wind like a boat in water, while goldcrests fuss in the gorse. Continue reading...