The Bluebell Woods- England in Springtime

There is something that is so quintessentially British and so special it warms the heart and heralds the arrival of spring. You can walk past a woodland entrance one evening and the dead twigs and leaves of winter are still in view but the next day a transformation can occur. Flowing through shady woods and glades a carpet of bluebells appear bringing a colourful and joyous feel to the countryside. New life is here, and in such an uplifting way the bluebells ring out their message that warmer longer days are on the way. The whole of the woods are covered in a sea of bluebells, a magical sight and many have paths that snake through the azure blooms swaying in the breeze. Mid morning is the time to see these flowers at their very best and to capture that timeless scene.

Walk through a bluebell wood in spring and there are only the sounds of birds above, trees rocking in a gentle breeze and the azure blue sweeping through the countryside like a stream in full flow. English bluebells are smaller and rarer than their Spanish counterparts and are mainly found in the woodland areas of England. Hyacinthoides non-scripta is found in shady moist places like woods and hedgerows and the creamy white pollen is the giveaway sign it is the native British variety. Beginning with a deep blue colour the shade fades to a paler hue as summer approaches.

There are many woods that have some of the most magnificent bluebell displays in England. Some of the best are:

Duncliffe Wood, near Shaftesbury, Dorset

Idless Woods, Cornwall

Silk Wood, Westonbirt Arboretum

Oversley Wood, Alcester, Warwickshire

Hagg Wood, Dunnington, York

Take a walk amongst English bluebells this spring and see the woodlands at their very best as warmer days arrive.