Latest news with #bluebells
BBC News
18-05-2025
- BBC News
Bluebells: The folklore helping protect the wildflower
Bluebells, in case you didn't know, are protected by law. You shouldn't pick them, damage them or transplant the that wasn't enough to put you off perhaps the idea of being visited by a bad fairy might do the Gallagher, from the Woodland Trust , is a Community Development Officer at Mourne Park in Kilkeel, which has the aptly named 'Bluebell trail' for people to has a couple of cautionary tales from folklore. One says: "If you hear the bluebell ring you might be visited by a bad fairy and things don't go too well for you after that."Or if you "pick a bluebell - the fairies being mischievous may come along and lead you astray and you may end up wandering around that woodland for a very long time, very, very lost." Bluebells are a very "delicate flower" that tend to bloom between the middle of April and the middle of May in Northern Gallagher says the native bluebell "are found in places of great significance" and are "an indicator of an ancient woodland" which is why they are often associated with being "magical"."It's funny that the cultural stories and the folklore around it are all based around the protection of them as well." She believes it shows that "we've always loved bluebells and understood the need to protect them". At Mourne Park in Kilkeel they've been removing the non-native invasive species like rhododendron and laurel to make room for the Green is Site Manager for Woodland Trust which owns the park. She says plants like those "block out any sunlight getting to the woodland floor and they out compete any of the native species that you'd get like bluebells".There are more than 100 acres of woodland there, 73 of them ancient. "So far we've made our way through 60 hectares of woodland, restoring it."She says seeing the bluebells "come back after we've done the removal work shows that the work we are doing is worth it and it's worthwhile". The main danger to the future of the bluebells now is humans."As soon as you step on them and break them then you can ruin quite big swathes of bluebells."Ms Green says they understand that people want to take pictures with them "but we ask that people keep their dogs on leads and keep themselves to the paths as well."She says it's vital that these "seeds can go all the way from going into flower to then going into seed to then going through their life cycles".There's still a small window left for people to see bluebells this year before they reappear next spring.
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- The Guardian
‘They erupt from the moor like castles, monsters and giants': exploring Dartmoor's tors
The first bluebells are out along the Dart gorge, creating a faint purple haze under the twisted oak trees. I'm on my way to Luckey Tor, one of Dartmoor's most hidden rock stacks, which sits by the river, shrouded in vegetation like Sleeping Beauty's castle. It's not the easiest of walks. The path peters out as I get deeper into the gorge, and the final approach to the tor involves clambering and hopping over large mossy boulders and navigating huge shelves of rock that border the river. The first sight of it is unforgettable. A small stream, the Row Brook, runs in front of it, like a moat. The tor looms up squarely from the valley floor, dwarfing everything around, framed in a grassy clearing that is a popular place to bivouac. Its position is unusual. Most tors are at the summit of a hill, dominating the views for miles around, standing grandly in the landscape, devoid of trees. Luckey Tor is sequestered in the folds of the Dart valley, and in the summer is mostly obscured by foliage; when you find it, you feel as though you've entered a secret kingdom. The tor is one of hundreds on Dartmoor (the actual number is disputed). The name comes from the Celtic word twr meaning tower; it refers to a rocky outcrop that rises sharply from the land around it. These natural monoliths are about 280 million years old; they erupt from the moor, like stone beings, in a variety of outlandish shapes and sizes, looking like castles, creatures, monsters and giants. Their unusual appearance has given rise to numerous myths and legends: Vixen tor is home to Vixiana the witch; the devil resides at the Dewerstone (and numerous other places, of course); and Old Crockern, 'the gert old spirit of the moor', lives by Crockern Tor. The authors of the first guides to Dartmoor called the tors rock idols because they believed they were worshipped by the druids. In 1793's Historical Views of Devonshire, Richard Polwhele wrote: 'In the druid ages, stones of various shapes were consecrated to religion … They prostrated themselves before the rudest … And wherever we find stones, which are at the same time massy and misshapen, there we look for the druidical gods. Vastness, in short, and rudeness were the characteristics of the druid rock-idols … ' The idea of worshipping rocks is not exclusive to Dartmoor. Cultures around the world, including the Sami people and indigenous Australians, revere rocks; they are full of natural majesty and tend to be in high places, perhaps connecting us to the heavens and even the underworld. It seems likely that our ancestors on Dartmoor, who were more attuned to the landscape features than we are today, regarded the tors as sacred. And we know, from the monuments they left behind – notably stone circles and stone rows, of which Dartmoor has some of the best examples in western Europe – that they practised some sort of faith. There is no doubt that Dartmoor feels like a sacred landscape, and its majestic rock stacks are part of that. They, and the moorland in which they sit, have been part of my life for the last 25 years; we first moved here back in 2000. I have walked among them, my children have played among them, and they have borne witness to many of the big moments in my life, both joyful and traumatic. I first had the idea for an illustrated book about this place I love so much when visiting the Lake District. We used the hand-drawn Wainwright guides, which we found compelling because of their subjective, intimate feel; they really reflected Alfred Wainwright's deeply personal relationship with the fells. I thought it would be great to produce a book like this for Dartmoor – with drawings by my husband, Alex, an artist. We ended up going on a granite pilgrimage, choosing 28 of the tors, and having wildly different experiences at all of them. They all have distinctive characters: Blackingstone Rock, with its surreal metal staircase going up the side, with curlicued, wrought-iron handrails, is a Victorian stairway to heaven. Hen Tor, by contrast, stands in total isolation, miles from anywhere, in an ocean of rock, like a stumpy cargo ship sailing forth in granite seas. And Watern Tor is an extraordinary ice-carved masterpiece of whirlpool granite, standing high above the Scorhill stone circle in the basin below. Our passion for this place has resulted in us setting up a new festival too, the Dartmoor Tors festival (which runs from 23 to 25 May), to share the enchantment of the moor, and ponder why it makes us feel the way we do. We've got artists, writers, campaigners, archaeologists and musicians coming together to explore our human, emotional connection with wild landscapes. There will be talks and conversations, as well as a variety of walks, with artists, archaeologists and storytellers, to sacred sites including stone rows, cairn circles and, of course, the tors. For us, the answer to why we love this place always seems to go back to the stone, the stone that connects us to our ancestors, that stone that they most probably worshipped, and which added a spiritual element to their lives. Paradoxically, stone is traditionally perceived as static and still, almost dead. But it is most definitely alive, just on a totally different timescale from us, existing in deep time, across millions of years, in contrast to our small, fleeting, lives. Sophie Pierce, with Alex Murdin, is the author of Rock Idols: A Guide to Dartmoor in 28 Tors (Wild Things Publishing, £14.99). To support the Guardian order your copy from The inaugural Dartmoor Tors festival, runs from 23-25 May 2025
BBC News
10-05-2025
- BBC News
Secret bluebell woodland in Upper Denby opens for one day only
A centuries-old bluebell wood usually closed to the public has opened today for one day Wood in Upper Denby is a 32-acre stretch of semi-ancient woodland and pasture that becomes a carpet of bluebells every April and woodland, which is usually closed to the public, has opened to visitors one day a year each year for more than two site is managed by volunteers from the Countryside Regeneration Trust who "nurture the flora and fauna and establish good habitats" for local wildlife. Lead volunteer Andy Brown said the bluebells have probably been on the site as long as the woodland."It's difficult to say when it formed but it's classed as semi-ancient woodland so it's been here since at least 1600."It might have been a small clump that has propagated itself by dropping seeds, developing into bulbs and forming a carpet throughout the wood."Mr Brown said he was expecting more than 100 visitors on Saturday, mostly from the local villages such as Denby Dale and the surrounding HD8 said they would be keeping the bluebells safe from visitors by marking out paths through the woodland."We have carefully marked out paths that volunteers have trodden which show the way to go with yellow flags," he said. The site is also home to hundreds of birds, deer and hare, he added."This time of year we've got spring migrants. So black caps, garden warblers, common whitethroat, you can hear robins, chiff chaffs, occasionally buzzards will fly over, great spotted woodpeckers, hundreds of different birds in the vicinity."We occasionally get roe deer and we've seen hares boxing on the clearing."Visitors to the woodland will be able to follow a marked trail between 10:30 BST and 15:30 BST after which it will close again to protect the plants and Pete Foulston said it was important for people to be able to see the "beauty and magnificence" of the woods."It's like a secret wood, which is good for the wildlife, but it allows members of the public to come one day of the year at its height and, like me, bathe in its magnificence," he Foulston became a volunteer after visiting the woodland on last year's open said: "I was so amazed at the beauty and magnificence that I decided to volunteer, so I've been coming for a year."It lifts my heart to be here." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
07-05-2025
- BBC News
Bluebells display returns to Lake District valley
Bluebell display returns to not-so-secret valley 15 minutes ago Share Save Federica Bedendo BBC News, North East and Cumbria Share Save BBC The bluebells are out at what is known as Secret Valley at the foot of Rannerdale Knotts Visitors have been flocking to a valley known for its annual bluebell display. Although it is known as the Secret Valley, perched at the foot of Rannerdale Knotts by the shore of Crummock Water in the Lake District, it is anything but a secret. The National Trust erects fencing each year around the time the bluebells are due to make an appearance, to remind people to stick to paths. Mark Astley, the area's ranger, said: "We love to see so many people enjoying this seasonal sight but please ask that they help us make sure they come back by sticking to paths as these delicate flowers will not return if stepped on." He said the charity also surveyed the area regularly and replanted it with more native bulbs in the autumn when needed. The majestic display attracted scores of people over the sunny bank holiday weekend, flocking to snap the beautiful sight. The area is also known locally as Bluebell Valley, owing to its popularity at this time of year. If stepped on, the fragile flowers will not return Mr Astley said it was important people remembered to park responsibly, as the narrow Lake District roads can easily become congested. He advised: "To avoid the crowds, there are many other places where you can find bluebells throughout the Lake District as they love the dappled sunlight of the woodlands." The National Trust erects fences to help remind people to stick to paths The National Trust said local settlers and Norsemen were believed to have lured the Normans at the Secret Valley and slaughtered them. According to a local legend, the bluebells would be a reminder of the blood spilt. Rannerdale is a popular place for snapping pictures of the bluebells Bluebells flower between April and May and almost half of the world's numbers are found in the UK, the National Trust said. Colonies can take a long time to establish and they can take years to recover from footfall damage. Bluebells flower in spring and provide colourful displays for a short amount of time Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
