Huge mushroom looked like a tree stub

In my local area I came across what seemed to be a tree stub. Upon closer inspection it turned out to be a gigantic mushroom! Who would have thought they can grow so close to a busy roundabout. I’m in Middlesex which is quite suburb but this looked more like something you’d find in a jungle! See for yourself.

Giant Mushroom

Massive Mushroom!

I thought mushrooms enjoyed damp and dark places? This one was right by a main road, on a patch of grass with two trees either side of it. I’m surprised I had only noticed it was there as I regularly walk past that area. Lets be honest something of that size would be pretty difficult to miss. Could it have sprung open in one night?! Just look at the size of it! Here is a picture of next to my puny little hand.

Dwarfing my hand

Mushrooms being one of my favourite foods, I was very tempted to bring it home and put it in the oven portabella style but decided not in case it was one of those hallucinogenic mushrooms or even worse poisonous! I went back today (three days later) and it had vanished! I so regret not picking even a bit of it to try! Maybe next time… next year?

Has anyone come across this particular mushroom before? And is it eatable?