Bluebells: Monday 5 May 2003

May bank holiday, and the bluebell woods should be at their best, there is a brief slot in the weather until 1 o’clock so at 10 a.m. I set out. I hope you appreciate the sacrifice of getting out of my bed before lunchtime on a bank holiday. Some earlier reconnaissance showed it was not going to be the best bluebell year – a dry and warm spring had reduced the carpets so I decided to walk into the deeper woods up from the Woolen Mill. The waterfall on the right used to drive the machinery there, and the owner will gladly show you the more antique machines.

A lot of work is going on at the mill and I will make a page later when the work is finished if the owner will allow me to.

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Behind the mill, a rough road leads into the deeper woods, many nice trails run through here but I was going deeper, into the heart of the woods, sadly decimated recently by logging. The track itself down is attractive lined as it is by wild flowers, violets, primroses, avens and the occasional bluebell, of course.

At one point a nice landscape opens up looking towards the farm buildings of Daill, in the distance you can see the woodland that was my target.

Into the woods! As I suspected there was a disappointing show in many places, but in other places there were the bluebells I have promised you.

And it took some finding I tell you, the peace of the woods was being disturbed by an irritating, noisy man on a quad bike but thankfully, after a while he went to play in other parts of the woods and I was left in peace to enjoy the carpets of blue.

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