A
Bluebell Walk in Ashridge, Hertfordshire
One Sunday I took a walk in Hertfordshire on the Ashridge estate.
This area of park and woodland is owned by the National Trust. It is a
popular spot for picnic and walks on shady woodland trails.
If you look for Ashridge
on a map of England you will find it on the
Hertfordshire/Buckinghamshire borders, near to the towns of Hemel
Hempstead and Berkhampstead.
The tower you can see here is a
19th century (1832 in fact) monument to the Duke of Bridgewater, who
was influential in the building of the canal system that was used so
effectively for transporting goods in the Victorian era. It is possible
to climb the tower, for the views. I didn't go up there on this occasion as many
people were queuing to do so.
On
the Sunday I was there, the area near the tower and nearby National
Trust visitor centre was occupied by an annual plant sale. Many people
had come to purchase plants.
My photo looks like the man is wearing a large pink
'umbrella' hat, but he isn't of course!
There are many cycle and walking
routes around the estate. The quiet paths provide a safe, car-free environment
for family outings.
Just
beyond the tower the route led into woodland. In early May the
countryside is a vibrant green, as all the trees start to come into
leaf. So pretty!
To enable elderly or disabled visitors to enjoy the
Ashridge forest the National Trust provide golf
buggies which can be used on these paths.
The nearby hedgerows were full of wild flowers. At this time of year there is an
abundance of cow parsley, a delicate white flower that is also known as
Queen Anne's Lace. Bluebells are more commonly seen hidden away in woodland, but
sometimes they also spill out onto the hedgerows.
The hedgerows and woodland
floor have a wide variety of plant life, including nettles, ferns
and wild flowers.
As the path continued into the woods the first patches of bluebells could be
seen on either side of the path.
The
most spectacular flowers in bloom in early May in England are wild bluebells. There were wonderful, scented carpets of these
flowers.
The pendulous
bells of the bluebells shook in the breeze.
You are not allowed to pick the bluebells as they are a protected species.
At
some points during the walk the path led along the top of a hill (we
were in the Chiltern hills here) and it was possible to catch glimpses
of the beautiful countryside. The wooden stile here leads off the main
path onto another footpath, that seems to lead down the hill.
The areas of woodland continue for some
miles.
The
countryside here is rolling and partially wooded. Tiny yellow
buttercups were just coming into bloom in this field. The chalk
downlands are important habitats for wildlife, birds and rare
wild
flowers. It is often possible to see deer in the woods here.
This farm was nestling in the valley below. The fields were so green
with new growth.
This old farmhouse was tucked away on the edge of the woods.
An early clematis was already in flower.
One of the most spectacular sights in
the U.K at this time of year are the large fields of mustard or rape seed oil,
which are a luminous bright yellow. You can see some of them in the distance.
Some people are allergic to these plants and get 'hay fever' symptoms from the
fields, but they do look glorious.
This
car parking and picnic area is at a viewpoint on the estate. I did not
know whether to be more concerned about having a dead tree branch fall
on me or having valuables stolen from my car. Luckily neither happened
to me on that day!
Just to the north of this spot is Ivinghoe
Beacon, which has a panoramic view of this area, and is the site of an Iron Age hill fort.
Some young
people were busy climbing on this large tree trunk. Obviously they had not read
that sign.
Once I had taken the walk, I retraced my steps and returned to the
plant fair. I bought a small pot of sweet peas.
After
all that walking I needed some refreshment. A cup of tea and a home
made fruit scone at the National Trust cafe were ideal. I can highly recommend
their scones!d
To learn more about this estate please click on this link to the
National Trust site.
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-ashridge
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