They are back… Bluebell season has begun!
For the next month or so, various woodlands throughout the
U.K light up with a brilliant sapphire blue carpet which is simply magical to see, especially on a
sunny day. I wish I could convey how beautiful bluebell woods are. In my view, bluebell woods should be U.K. National Treasures.
Park Woods, Nuffield Place
Around Oxford, there are several great places to see the
bluebells. Grab your wellies or good walking shoes and visit one of these National Treasures near you.
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| Park Woods, Nuffield Place |
(Radley Woods behind our home in Kennington)
Best places to see bluebells around Oxford:
Harcourt
Arboretum: 6 miles south of Oxford
Bagley Woods: Kennington, 2 miles south
of Oxford
Shotover Park: 3 miles east of Oxford center
Magdalen College: City center
Sydlings Copse: 3.5 miles northeast
of Oxford
Wytham Great
Woods: 4 miles northwest of Oxford
Besselsleigh Common Wood: near Wootton, about 5 miles
southwest of Oxford
http://visitwoods.org.uk/en/visit-woods/Pages/large-wood-map.aspx?wood=24887&site=Besselsleigh-Common-Wood&from=Oxford#.U1Z2j-ZdWMA
Blenheim Palace grounds: 10 miles northwest of Oxford
https://www.blenheimpalace.com/
Foxholes: 4 miles north of Burford
Bradbury Hill: Near Faringdon and owned by the National Trust, is said to be
one of the best bluebell woods in the country.
Great Coxwell wood at Colehill
Nuffield Place Woods near Nettlebed
Stoke Wood: (north of Bicester, near J10 of the M40) has lovely bluebells and orchids in the spring. There is a path from the car park suitable for young children or those with limited mobility, or lots of little paths to explore for the more adventurous.
Blenheim Palace grounds: 10 miles northwest of Oxford
https://www.blenheimpalace.com/
Great Coxwell wood at Colehill
Nuffield Place Woods near Nettlebed
Stoke Wood: (north of Bicester, near J10 of the M40) has lovely bluebells and orchids in the spring. There is a path from the car park suitable for young children or those with limited mobility, or lots of little paths to explore for the more adventurous.
The best time to spot bluebells is the middle of April to the middle of May. They usually bloom in the south first, slowly spreading north towards Scotland as spring progresses.
Most bluebells are found in ancient woodland where the rich habitat supports a whole host of species.
Ancient woodland inlcludes woods from the 17th century and some may even be remnants of the original wildwood that covered Britain after the last Ice Age.
Have I missed any? Do you have a favorite bluebell woods nearby? Please let me know.
Interesting facts about bluebells:
- Nearly 50% of the world’s bluebells can be found in the UK.
- There are some in western Germany but none in Scandinavian
- In folklore the bluebell is considered to be the flower of the house goblin.
- Anyone who wears a bluebell is compelled to tell the truth
- The bluebell is a symbol of constancy and is probably the origin of the '….something blue…' that a bride should wear on her wedding day.
- The bluebell is being studied for its medicinal qualities because it contains things called water-soluble alkaloids that could be useful in developing drugs to fight cancer.
- In the Bronze Age, people used bluebell glue to attach feathers to their arrows
- The Victorians used the starch from crushed bluebells to stiffen the ruffs of their collars and sleeves.
- Legend also says that a field of bluebells is intricately woven with fairy enchantments.
- Bees can 'steal' nectar from bluebells by biting a hole in the bottom of the bell, reaching the nectar without pollinating the flower.
- According to folklore, hearing a bluebell ring is a sign of impending death!
- Bluebell sap was used to bind pages to the spines of books
For more information about Bluebell Woods:
http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/bluebells
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/uk/bluebell-woods.html#cr
http://visitwoods.org.uk/en/visit-woods/things-to-do/nature/Pages/bluebell-images.aspx#.U1aDcuZdWMA
