Hebden Herbs

12/08/2025

A new favourite: Bryony. I was inspired to stock this herb for a tricky respiratory condition, and shortly afterwards spotted it in a Welsh hedgerow (it doesn't grow in Calderdale).

Now I'm deep diving on all its amazing properties - it's a very pokey herb, used in low doses for serious inflammatory conditions, absolutely not one to DIY! Also given that the root is the medicinal part and its habitat is dense mixed hedgerows, I can't imagine having the patience to harvest it. But look at those gorgeous traffic-light berries 🔴🟠🟢

05/08/2025

Latest in the shop: capsules! The artichoke, milk thistle and ashwagandha are all lovingly handmade. The turmeric & frankincense is from one of my trusted suppliers.

💊 Artichoke leaf (green ones) - most often taken as part of a cholesterol-reducing protocol, this is an all-round liver, gallbladder and digestive tonic, thereby also helping to stabilise blood sugar.

💊 Turmeric, frankincense & trikatu (amazingly orange and smell incredible too) - we all know turmeric is anti-inflammatory but combined with frankincense and trikatu (an Ayurvedic blend of black pepper, long pepper and ginger) these capsules are levelled up. Really helpful for people with joint pain and other inflammatory conditions.

💊 Milk thistle (beige ones) - the classic liver tonic and restorer. I work with shedloads of milk thistle in my practice and people taking it report feeling brighter and more energised, simply by getting the liver working effectively so the body's wastes are being cleared out properly. This can have a knock-on effect on hormonal balance too. I can't condone using milk thistle as hangover prevention (or cure) but I was known to do this in my 20s and it certainly did the trick.

💊 I now also stock Ashwagandha capsules - pure, organic, powdered root. This is one of the most popular over the counter herbs these days - have a chat with me if you feel Ashwagandha could be a herb for you.

28/07/2025

Mugwort Salve - Sue Goodwin's tried and tested recipe - prescribed for her own herbal patients over the years and now she's made a batch for us.

Mugwort increases circulation to the pelvis and helps persuade reluctant, crampy wombs to stop complaining and get on with the job of menstruation. It can work wonders massaged in to the lower belly.

Mugwort also brings deeper sleep and with that more dreaming - if you're curious about working with mugwort this way you can rub this in to your wrists and temples at bedtime.

Pick this up at the shop on Wednesdays 4-6pm or message me to pick up another time 🌕🌿

09/07/2025

Kerri has been recce-ing this Sunday's walk, where they found FORTY ONE plants that they can tell you about, without doing any extra homework! This is a record for a Hebden Herbs walk 😅 - if you're coming along you can choose which ones you want to geek out about the most - questions & discussions always welcome 🌿🔍🤓

Have you booked? Email HandsOnHebdenHerbs@gmail.com to sign up - £20 per adult, kids welcome too.

08/07/2025

For my outdoorsy folks! If like me you spend your summers in the woods, fields and rivers then like me you're plagued by tiny flying hazards 🦟🪰🦟🪰 and the itchy bites they leave on our skin.

Stop Itch spray is the absolute best for calming the infernal urge to scratch, as well as the swelling and inflammation after a visit from a horsefly, mosquito or midge.

I've been using my own bottle since my first horsefly bites of the year 😧 and getting grateful reviews from gardeners working in clouds of midges and wild swimmers attacked by mosquitos too.

06/07/2025

Hedgerow pharmacy: in this random two feet of verge we find traditional and modern remedies for acne, constipation, diarrhoea, anxiety, grief, liver and gallbladder problems, stomach ulcers, a hangover cure and much more. And in the next few steps there'll be even more - this is how herbalists see the world around us - there's medicine absolutely everywhere!

Our herb walks cover about one mile which allows us to meet and get to know around 30 species and share with you how to work with some of them at home. We get hands on, touching and nibbling the herbs, and drinking a herbal tea or two. We talk about how to gather herbs safely and sustainably and you'll finish the walk with a new depth of understanding of the "ordinary" plants all around us.

Our next guided walk is Sunday 13th July 10am - 12 noon. The cost is adults £20, 6 - 18 year olds £5, under 6's free. To book or with further questions, contact Kerri at HandsOnHebdenHerbs@gmail.com.

03/07/2025

So do you know your docks?? If you can name these three, do you know what each one does medicinally, which part of the plant to gather, at what time of year and how to prepare it?

We have so much wild medicine all around us in the hedges, verges, gardens and cracks in the pavement.

Join Kerri for a guided Herb Walk on Sunday 13th July, 10 - 12 to learn alllll about our docks and another 30 odd local medicines that we walk past every day 🔍🌿🔍🌿

To book please **email Kerri directly** on HandsOnHebdenHerbs@gmail.com

29/06/2025

Thanks Doris! 🥰🌱

Hebden Herbs are holding a herb walk on Sunday 13th July 10am - 12 noon.
For further details please follow the link.

26/06/2025

NEW HERB WALK!! 🌹 SUNDAY 13th JULY 🌹 10am - 12 noon.

You'll be delighted to hear of another chance to meet your local medicine - student medical herbalist Kerri will be leading a two hour ramble at a very gentle pace and along a new route. We’ll learn which common ailments can be treated with the wild plants right under our noses, talk about some core principles of herbal medicine, how to prepare different plant parts at home as well as how herbalists use these plants now and in history. There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion. As always there will be fresh teas and other preparations to sample, so bring your mug! 🫖🌱🫖

To book or with further questions, please *email Kerri directly* at HandsOnHebdenHerbs@gmail.com

24/06/2025

Making a small batch of homegrown Unwind Drops for my own stressful moments. Skullcap and betony bloom together at midsummer and bring complementary calming and grounding properties. A dropperful in a splash of water will calm the nerves in seconds but it's perfectly safe to have a little swig on a truly bad day!

I go through too much of these essential herbs to grow them all myself, so the skullcap & betony tintures in the Unwind Drops that I sell are bought from trusted herbal suppliers. You can pick up a bottle on Wednesdays 4 - 6pm when the clinic is open as a shop - on the first floor, Salem Community Centre, Salem Street, HX7 6HB.

31/05/2025

NEXT HERB WALK ⭐ SATURDAY 14th JUNE 1-3pm ⭐ NEW ROUTE

Everyone had such a good time on the herb walk today that Kerri's putting on another one really soon, on the other side of town 🌸🌱

Come along and meet your local medicine, learn how to ID and work with the herbs at home AND make new friends 🤗🌿🌼

To book **email Kerri directly** on HandsOnHebdenHerbs@gmail.com

20/05/2025

My Wednesday evening shop / pharmacy / drop-in / apothecary hours are one of the highlights of my week. I love that people come in with ANYTHING so it keeps me on my toes. "Do you have anything for my [ cold sore / heartburn / scar healing / nervous tummy / weird skin issue / hot flushes / early waking ]" and the answer is usually yes, there's a herb for that 😊

Other times people just want to ask about a herb they've read about online, pick up ingredients for concoctions at home or quiz me about what herbal medicine is and does. When it's busy it's a delightfully chaotic gathering of herb enthusiasts in a small space with shopping lists and curious questions. On a quiet one you can catch me alone and we can have a quick 1:1 about what's going on for you and what herbs can do about it 🌱

Every Wednesday 4-6pm you'll find me or Sue Goodwin (Hebden's former herbalist, now retired) pottering away and you're so welcome to pop in and browse or have a chat, never any pressure to buy. It's the same room as the clinic in Salem Mill, HX7 6HB. Find the green door down the side of the building, up to the first floor, then right hand corridor - it's a bit of a maze but there's a herbal treasure trove at the end of it! 🌼🌿🌸