By Melissa Corkhill
15th April 2011
Thanks to a new website, finding your nearest bluebell wood couldn’t be easier. The Woodland Trust in partnership with the National Trust, RSPB, Wildlife Trusts and the Forestry Commission has developed a brand new website VisitWoods.org.uk. It has the UK’s largest searchable database of woods and for bluebell season a simple postcode search, with the bluebell symbol ticked, will generate a map and directions to your nearest accessible bluebell woods.
Around half of all the bluebells in the world are found in the UK. They are a protected species strongly associated with ancient woodland and if you are looking at carpets of bluebells in a wood, it’s likely that wood is also ancient. Ancient woods are the UK’s equivalent of the rainforest, home to more species than any other habitat. The magnificent bluebell displays we are treated to each year are a perfect reminder of how precious they are.
Spending time in the woods in your family is a free, easy and great fun, so go to VisitWoods.org.uk and find your nearest bluebell wood to visit this weekend. Then all you need to do is pack a picnic, round up the family, fetch the dog and grab your camera before you go and bask in the glorious spectacle that nature treats us to each spring.
