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I am eagerly anticipating a huge display of bluebells this year and thought it would be interesting to hear STW'ers recommendations. 😀
So ... name the county and the wood then marks out of 10 please! Just to clarify, am particularly keen to hear about Chilterns, Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset.
Thank you so much!
burnham beeches - but i usually only visit on foot, with the dog
for riding, the ones on my doorstep loop - but im not telling you where that is, sorry. (chilterns)
the green tips are poking through the leaf mulch already!
christmas common balhams farm
Ooooh, two Chilts recommendations already 8)
C'mon on SOOBalias, give us a clue!
tips are showing and the trails are drying out a bit as well. be careful anyone doing the stonor fence desent locals have been blocking the desent every twenty feet with all sorts mate broke a collar bone the other week. have reported to the council. silly old sods must have taken the most of the day to build them half a tree in one place even built a stone wall backed with soil for support. shame a nice quick desent.
ashridge is always good
just google images for ashridge and bluebells
Ashridge - spring bluebell walks (rides for some) are an institution where I live
ETA - beaten to it!
leaving the road on to a footpath, which contours the hill through about a mile of newish plantation, corner sharply right and then left, the trees open up to reveal a large dip, 0.5k across. bluebells as wide as you can see, all the way down, up the other side and across the top to distant left (trail goes right)
obviously you cannot ride there as its a footpath.
Dalepoint
the stonor fence desent locals have been blocking the desent every twenty feet with all sorts mate broke a collar bone the other week. have reported to the council. silly old sods must have taken the most of the day to build them half a tree in one place even built a stone wall backed with soil for support. shame a nice quick desent.
Do you mean this one: [url= http://www.multimap.com/s/RVwGiZdt ]http://www.multimap.com/s/RVwGiZdt[/url]
If so that's bang out of order, and very dangerous. And i was planning on riding it this weekend.
The woods outside Lockeridge (W of Marlborough) are lovely most years.
Chute Forest has some lovely spots of bluebells as well.
However, my current favourite bluebell/bike related memory is of a hot sunny day riding Hermon at CYB, with that wonderful heady scent filling the air.
Oh, and sorry c-g - just to stay on topic: far end of shotover hill, running parallel to the byway. lovely bluebells usually.
Micheldever woods, just north of Winchester. Some good bridleways around there too...
Bluebells? don't really notice them until I'm cleaning their pulped little flowers from my tyre tread at the end of a ride...
Surely this is one for the [url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/gardenersworld/2009/05/a_passion_for_bluebells.html ]gardeners world [/url] panel?
Great Widmoor Wood in the Chilterns. A beautiful birch copse that always has a stunning display of bluebells.
+ 1 for Shotover Hill
And the snowdrops up on Boars Hill were looking very nice when we weaved through them on Tuesday night.
West Woods nr Pewsey, Wiltshire. Always manages to make even the dullest of days seem bright and cheery. I think this is the same as CFH has already mentioned good riding around the Vale of Pewsey, going out there on Sunday 21st March!!
Looks like the Chilterns is the place to be for bluebells.
My vote goes to the misleadingly named Grim's Ditch:
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It's far from grim, especially when the bluebells are out. Shame this bit is 'misleadingly' shown as footpath on the OS.
Yep, that's it! West Woods! Had forgotten the name!
Pewsey...happy memories...! 😈
the kings woods nr challock in East Kent and various other parts of blean & thornden
I'm moving back to Oxford soon so looking forward to some chiltern/bluebell rides - i wonder if they are as amazing as I remember them from way back 🙂
Oh, that bit looks lovely Dr B. As we walk our bikes through that part we'll be able to take in their beauty in more detail...
Borthwood Copse (Winford) and The copse on the north of Tennyson Trail by Bowcombe Down both have crackling bluebell patches (Both on the Isle of Wight)
Dalepoint thats bad sh1t. Its totally illegal & highly dangerous - take the obstacles down would be my advice..As for bluebells CG? Well its been a whiles since I rode the Chilterns so Im not totally sure but Im gonna say the slopes above Hambleden..I seem to remember lots of blueness up there.
That's pretty shocking news about the Stonor bridleway 😯
Thanks for all the replies, reckon I'll be a bit busy and saddle-sore next month!
crispedwheel
yep thats the one had troble there on and off for a couple of years worst one was half a tree balanced across the fence and a tree at head height as you round the tree at the top come down to a small drop before it opens up wide. took the gravel rash ripped shorts better than no head. night ride Tuesday starting there were you cant see before you are in it every 20 feet or so. pointless mindless idiots. all the root balls from the locals raiding the compost heap to build the blocks were a bit of a give away. I cleared it as I came down as I had friends following me so they could have a clear run. but be aware in case they have been building again proceed with caution. I have reported it to oxford council but what they can do I dont know.
Good work on reporting to the council. We ride with a couple of local police officers so might be worth mentioning it to them.
sheepscombe, cranham and painswick in gloucestershire. beech woods loaded with bluebells and wild garlic. some great trails through them also!
Bluebells? In Hampshire?
Well, Itchen Wood and Parnholt Wood are both pretty good.
The wood on top of Moundsmere (the lumpy bit between Ellisfield and Bradley), I think I met you up there last year CG.
There's usually some in Longwood Warren and the tracks around Marwell and Owslebury.
Kings wood near Winscombe in Somerset is also nice on the bluebells front.
the NW Alps is usually abundant with bluebells, we are the the biggest Uk exporter
Yes West Woods are superb, although avoid going on the weekends when the tracks are fully open to vehicles in early May, they get hundreds there and its rubbish for riding. Plenty of orchids in the woods as well.
Another couple of sites in Wiltshire are the woods at Great Ridge near Salisbury and Cranbourne Chase near Shaftesbury, Wilts/Dorset border, decent riding in both places along with good pubs and tea shops!
The Angmering Park Estate in Sussex has loads of bluebell woods - you could ride for 45 minutes without seeing the same part twice, mostly on singletrack 😀
+1 for tang's suggestions up there as well. Oh, and a few beers at the Butcher's go down a treat too!
Leigh Woods, Bristol has a couple of very good bluebell spots - on in particularl has a great bit of singletrack right through it which makes for great pics.
flash im up the butchers now as it happens....quick ride up to cranham, rude not to! dont drink anymore but when i did, pint of 'pigs ear' please!
Another vote for Grim's Ditch along the way to Nuffield in't Chilterns. Haven't been up or down Stonor for a while, will check it out.
Forgotten the name, but the one up on a hill by Gatwick. Not ridable in any sense and at times, barely walkable if you don't want to kill off bluebells.
Well, this place never ceases to amaze me! So many replies to a bluebell thread. My maps will be well-marked with places to visit. 😀
[b]UnderThewood[/b] - oh yes, the singlespeeders meet in the woods!
[b]rOcKeTdOg[/b]
the NW Alps is usually abundant with bluebells, we are the the biggest Uk exporter
I do hope you are not picking them!
Second what tommo999 said, Wepham Wood between Worthing & Arundel. Has a few bridleways through it.
Yes West Woods near Marlorough is beautiful when the bluebells are out
Voila
Some hidden trails in the Forest of Dean
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Was up west wood on the weekend with the nipper. It's just the odd snowbell and plenty of mud at the moment. Loads of little green heads already poking out though.
If you really can't wait, can I highly recommend this:
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Available directly from www.lily-flame.co.uk (who included a delightful hand-written note with my order) or Waitrose, John Lewis etc. There are some gorgeous scents in their range and you can still enjoy the aroma even when the candle is not lit. 😀
Tommo99.
Angerming park estate isn't that far from me at all ( Peoples republic of Hayling) Are the tracks legal or cheeky trails? If I was to bumble over there this afternoon would I be able to find enough to keep me happy for an hour or 2?
Cheers
rob
Whippendell Woods in Watford. All off-piste though...