My favourite place to see the bluebells

We have found our favourite new place to see the bluebells!!  It's kid friendly, dog friendly, and has free parking with public restrooms on site at the visitor centre. There were even craft brewed coffee and handmade ice cream trucks.  What more could you ask for (besides the rain to hold off)? 

When are the bluebells in season: They usually flower from mid-April to late May, depending on the weather. They often first appear in the South West where it's a little warmer than the rest of the UK.  Here in London we have lots of little pockets of bluebells that pop up and can bee seen in our wooded areas like Hampstead Heath and Highgate woods. I walk in Hampstead Heath everyday so have been able to monitor them closely.  They are now in full bloom.  I suggest you get out and go see them as soon as you can!  

Where are the bluebells: Our new favourite place: Ashridge House, ​In Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, which is just under an hour drive from North London.  This is a 12 minute drive from Whipsnade Zoo if you're familiar with it.  
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​You don't want to put the sat nav coordinates to Ashridge House though.  It's too far of a walk from my favourite location.  Search for Bridgewater Monument and set that as your location. You can also try to copy this link  https://goo.gl/maps/9EfRuBE1w1rN7Ce26  This is where you'll find parking and toilets. There's also a cafe, but due to Covid it has limited hours.  It was only open once on my several visits. 

Once you park and find your way to the Bridgewater Monument you're ready to start your adventure.  If you're facing the monument you want to head to your RIGHT on the path.  You'll quickly come to some sign markers pointing you in the correct direction. Shortly after you start walking you'll find a bridge, once we crossed over that we veered to the right and found the bluebells.  Follow the sign markers for the Bluebell Path.  The woodland was carpeted with bluebells.  Such a magnificent sight to see!  This is the best year I've witnessed. 

The walk is well sign posted and the paths are all easy to moderate to navigate.  If you have an all terrain buggy it should be fine.  We spent two hours walking at a leisurely pace and covered 4.5k of the area with lots more to see and do if we had wanted.

A few facts that I find super fascinating about bluebells.

1. It takes 4-5 years for a bluebell to grow from a seed.  So a carpeted area like you see in these pictures takes around 400 years or longer to establish.  
2. This particular area is a medieval forest that was a battle site in the 13 hundreds!  It definitely feels like Robin Hood and his gang of merry men are going to trot right on past you any minute. 
3. It is against the law to intentionally pick, uproot or destroy bluebells.
4. Almost half the world's bluebells are found in the UK, they’re relatively rare in the rest of the world.

A few tips if you plan to take pictures while your there:

1. Get lower to the ground! Getting down with the flowers will bring them into the foreground and fill the frame more easily than taking the shot from a standing position.  I was on my belly to capture the shot of our dog Poppy jumping over a log.  I was on my knees or belly for nearly all the shots seen here. 
2. To avoid getting the footpath in your photos use tip number one! Get low to the ground.  If your subject is in front of you, try standing on another path in front of them or to the side of them, this will put bluebells between you and your subject! It is so important to protect the bluebells.  If they get trampled on they will take another 3-4 years to grow back.  The easiest way to protect them is to stay on the paths.  You can still get amazing shots on the paths. 
3. Find a subject or point of interest to give it scale.  For example the image above with our little Poppy's head poking up.  She looks so small and provides scale for the flowers around her.  If you don't have a person or pups with you, zoom in on a flower.  If you're shooting on a newer-ish iPhone, try using portrait mode.​

That's all. :)
Share your bluebell photos and favourite spots with me through my contact or instagram page!
​xxx
​Johanna