The end of the bluebell season

Avon Valley Woodlands

One of my dreams has long been to visit a bluebell wood.  You know the sort of thing, a veritable carpet of bluebells as far as the eye can see and the air thick and heady with their fragrance...

After some fruitless searching in the woods behind our house, finding only a few clumps of bluebells, I asked on Facebook and was directed to Avon Valley Woodlands in Hanham.

Avon Valley Woodlands seems to be a bit of a secret place.  I mentioned it to a few people and they'd never heard of it, but undeterred I plugged the details into Google Maps and drove there early one morning before the sun got too strong.

I walked through lush green tree tunnels, past tall, sculptural cow parsley which almost sparkled in the early sun.  I wished afterwards that I'd picked an armful and put them in a vase at home.  It might be a weed, but it's still rather beautiful.

When I spotted my first bluebell, I realised I was too late.  The bluebells were fading.  Still beautiful, but definitely past their prime.  I kept walking down the steep and winding path and after a few turns I came across these beauties.

I love how they're clustered around the base of the twisted tree trunks.  So pretty!  It's not quite the purple carpet I had hoped for, but it's certainly the closest I've ever gotten to my dream.

Apparently there were even more spectacular bluebells further into the woods by some memorial benches, but by the time I was told that, bluebell season was firmly over for another year.  I'll have to take more walks in the woods next spring to find them!

Did you find any beautiful bluebells this year?

Avon Valley Woodlands
off Castle Farm Road, Hanham, Bristol.
Information leaflet and map

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