Badbury Clump, Oxfordshire, Beautiful Bluebells.

Won’t you join me for a wander in the Badbury Clump bluebell woods? Here one of Britain’s best-loved wildflowers, will be quietly putting on quite a show between late April and early May?

The Japanese may have the cherry blossom, the British have the bluebell. Both are fleeting in their glorious presence, both are welcomed with great love as a symbol of the passing of the seasons.

A NATIONAL TRUST SITE
Did you know that Britain is home to half the world’s population of bluebells, and much is being done to protect them at the National Trust’s Badbury Clump?

It takes between 5-7 years to grow a woodland garden of bluebells. So you can see why it is necessary to protect this great national treasure.

This path above, for instance, is just for show and not for walking through for fear of damaging the delicate bells.

The central path, however, is wide and open for every man, woman, and child, plus a few dogs to enjoy! Oh, how I would love to bring our Crazy Poodle, who is home in Australia, for a walk amidst the dappled sunlight streaming through the beech trees.

WHERE IS BADBURY CLUMP?

A visit to Badbury Clump, Coleshill, Oxfordshire is a must-see for me if I’m home at the right time of year.

The best way to approach it is up the tiny (hold your breadth that no-one is coming down the hill) sunken road from Great Coxwell. This gives you a real sense of the ancient Iron-age fort you are approaching, once found on the top of the hill.

HIKING, TRAIL BIKE RIDING, AND HORSE RIDING

Some trails at Badbury Clump are also open to horseback riders and mountain bike users. The views from up here out over the British countryside and Vale of the White Horse are lovely.

As a child, I would ride my pony in the surrounding woodlands. It was a bit of trek from where we lived, but always worth the extra ride, especially if there was a fallen log or two to canter over and we could pretend we were competing at the Badminton Horse trials taking place not that far away.

ICE CREAM AND PHOTOGRAPHY!

As you can see we picked a pretty perfect day, and despite the ice cream van and plenty of cars in the car park, you can soon manage to find a quiet corner of the woods to yourself.

Bluebells are notoriously difficult to photograph, the National Trust has helped by setting up viewing and photography platforms in strategic places to get the best pictures.

All my photos are taken with an old iPhone, so apologies for any lack of clarity.

The woodland is well managed. There are signs asking people not to trample through the bluebells, with logs above strategically placed as a gentle, rustic reminder to keep out.

BADBURY CLUMP IS OPEN ALL YEAR

Badbury Clump is perfect for any season.

The National Trust has identified several walks in the area. The historian amongst us will enjoy a wander over lands that King Arthur led the Celtic British victory here.  Or to walk the lands where British secret resistance fighters were prepared for action in the Second World War.

CAR PARKING

Car parking is easy and situated right outside of Badbury Clump. You only need to walk a short distance from the parking area to access the bluebells.

Run by the National Trust & free for National Trust Members. Otherwise, the charge is £2 for 2 hours or £4 all day.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Location: On the B4019 between Coleshill and Faringdon, Oxfordshire, SN7 7NJ
• Managed by: National Trust, Badbury Hill.
• Free Entry:  Open from dawn to dusk
• Forest Bathing at Badbury Clump
• What’s on at Badbury – Dawn Chorus Walks and more
• Lunch: We had an enjoyable lunch at The Coleshill Village tea rooms

It’s a lovely time of year! As once the bluebells are out, everyone can take a sigh of relief and know summer is on the way.

Do you have any carpet of flowers to visit where you live?

If you enjoyed this post you might also enjoy: International Forest Day