I knew about bluebells - after all, I had read Enid Blyton. But  'bluebell woods'? Their existence I only discovered earlier this year when I was researching this trip. The pictures looked amazing, and, lo and behold, they should have been flowering in the week we spent in England before we left for Turkey. Alas - it was not to be. The long winter (apparently it has been the coldest March since 1962) has meant the stalks have not yet lengthened enough to flower.

I had little hope that a month later they would be flowering, but researched possibilities in the Aylesbury area when we arrived there. On Sunday morning, with a couple of options, we first set out for Ashridge Estate, not far from where we were staying. There were quite few visitors arriving as we got there. The fine weather is drawing Europeans out of their houses after the long winter. 


 
 
The estate is large, and for the first kilometre or so we saw lovely woods but not a skerrick of blue. Then, as we came near a cleared area there were bluebells on the other side of the fence! That meant there would be more! Back in the woods we were amazed. for as far as we could see there was a carpet of blue under the trees. Or should I say purple, as it was more like a purple haze under the trees. It was such a sight. The flowers were probably just past their prime, but still very colourful.

I felt so privileged to have had a chance to see this after all. We spent the morning walking through the woods and it seemed hard to get enough of them as every turn in the path brought another vision.
 


Finally we left and wandered the nearby town of Berkhamsted. When we got home I read more about bluebells. In former times the the bluebell bulbs were used as a source for book-binding glue and also in linen processing. Today bluebells are protected, and it is illegal to remove them from property. They are also under threat from crossing with Spanish bluebells as this weakens the strain. I hope they continue to survive and expand, as they surely are a wonderful sight.