Avon Water and Green Bridge, Chatelherault, near Hamilton, Lanarkshire
With a visit to Chatelherault you get a genuine sense of the beauty of the Scottish countryside as you stroll along banks of bluebells above fast moving water. One of the best country parks in Scotland, Chatelherault was built in 1732 as the hunting lodge and summer house for the wealthy Duke of Hamilton. Designed by the famous Scottish Architect William Adam, the restored buildings are now a visitor centre with display gallery and exhibitions on the area’s history, wildlife and also the story of Chatelherault itself.
Tamar Valley on the Devon / Cornwall border
Bluebells will be out earlier here than other parts of the UK due to the milder (and damper!) climate – the Tamar Valley sits in a depression between Bodmin and Dartmoor, a beautifully green belt fringed by the Tamar, Walkham and Tavy rivers. The walk from Lower Grenofen to Horrabridge, along the Walkham is a secret spot favoured by locals. Award-winning Woodovis Park makes an ideal base for a spring break, set on the brow of the Tamar Valley in a secluded meadow. Bluebells line the campsite as well as cropping up along the tree lined drive. As well as all weather camping pitches there are fully heated, luxury holiday homes, an insulated camping pod and cosy cottage.
Cumbria and the Lake District
Perhaps more famed for its hosts of golden daffodils, Cumbria and the Lake District are also littered with so many beautiful places where you can admire a carpet of bluebells. Perhaps one of the loveliest spots to see them is at Rannerdale at the back of Crummock Water in the Butteremere Valley – it is a delightfully hidden place that is well worth the effort to find. Other places include by Grasmere and Rusland valley. They are at their best around mid May.
Swallowtail Hill, East Sussex
Swallowtail Hill Farm is a small East Sussex farm situated in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It has become a beacon for bio-diversity, used as a demonstration site to show exactly what a landscape can become if managed for conservation. In just a few weeks’ time the farm’s woodland will be awash withbBluebells and only those camping at the farm will have the opportunity to see them. Swallowtail Hill is an off-grid site offering stylish eco camping in traditional bell tents fully kitted out and family friendly.
Sulham Woods, Berkshire
Sulham Woods (between Pangbourne and Reading) is a stunning spot to view bluebells in Spring and early Summer.The woodland becomes covered in a thick carpet, and also offers far reaching views of the Thames Valley, as far as Didcot on a clear day. The woods form part of the North Wessex Downs, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and are a mixture of deciduous & coniferous woodland and arable fields with footpaths & meadows. Add a fine mix of woodland birds from skylarks to Red Kits and a healthy population of Roe deer, and it’s a strong bluebell walk contender! Sanctum On The Green is a chic boutique retreat in Cookham Dean, ideally located for a bluebell viewing mini break in this region. With just 9 individually designed rooms from a crash pad from just £120 to the Sanctum Suite at a brilliant £220 (six foot bath tub included), the grounds also offer a secluded heated outdoor pool and great al fresco dining in a beautiful courtyard.
