MOURNERS gathered at a graveside funeral today to remember one of the region’s most experienced and well-known foragers.

Henry Ashby, armed with his trademark stick, foraged for more than 50 years and supplied some of the country’s top restaurants with fresh ingredients taken straight from the hedgerow, coast or forest floor, until his death last month, aged 63.

And at Chepstow Cemetery this afternoon, more than 50 people, including chef Chris Harrod and Monmouth AM Nick Ramsay, gathered to pay their final respects to Mr Ashby.

Officiating, Sherry Philips said:”We are grateful for the life of Henry.

“We will cherish his memories, friendship, and most of all his love.

“May you find richness with your memory of him.”

Following a poem being read and the singing of ‘Eternal Father Strong to Save’, Mr Ashby’s stick was placed on his coffin and lowered into the ground.

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Alan Ashby then gave a heart-felt eulogy about his "exuberant" brother’s life from young childhood exploring the countryside together, to his time as a submariner and, eventually, when he retired from the Navy, as an expert forager and town councillor.

Dean Seaborne, a former submariner colleague of Mr Ashby, spoke of their time together in service and former Chepstow town clerk Sandra Bushell also added warm words.

She said: “Henry, who was mayor of Chepstow in 2009, had a strong sense of fairness and served the public with integrity.

"He always stood up for what he believed in.

"During his years as mayor he oversaw the reopening of the Drill Hall, the purchase of the Town Gate house and the first home coming parade of the 1st Rifles. But he said the highlight of his year in office was meeting Sir David Attenborough when he was at a book signing at Chepstow Bookshop.”