Bluebells in the South West

A walk through the countryside we look after in April and May is often rewarded with carpets of blue. Here are some of the best places to spot bluebells in the South West.

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A snapshot of bluebells across the South West

Bluebells at Abbott Street Copse on the Kingston Lacy estate

Kingston Lacy, Dorset

Abbott Street Copse at Kingston Lacy is full of veteran and ancient trees which are the perfect habitat for bluebells. The team have created a new plantation next to the original copse, where 2,500 trees and 1,500 hedgerow trees will help to conserve this important woodland.

Seek out these bluebells

Bluebells in the woods at Stourhead — Carpets of bluebells appear in the woodlands at Stourhead throughout May

Stourhead, Wiltshire

Bonham Wood on the Stourhead estate is transformed with swathes of bluebells in May, complemented by views across the lake from behind the Temple of Apollo.

Stourhead's bluebells

Bluebells in Devon

A rabbit hiding in foliage on the Killerton estate

Bluebells in the woods at Buckland Abbey

Greenway

Renowned for being a spring garden, Greenway blooms into colour at this time of year. A wander along the woodland paths by the river in spring is rewarded with banks full of snowdrops and daffodils, and later carpets of bluebells.

Lydford Gorge

Bluebells cover the steep slopes of the gorge from mid-April to May. Being on the edge of Dartmoor and sitting around 150m above sea level, the bluebells can be later to arrive here than other Devon woodlands.

Killerton

Recent conservation around the Iron Age hill fort known as The Clump on the Killerton estate has made the hillside even better for bluebells, which thrive in the woodland surrounding Killerton.

Overbeck's Garden

Against a backdrop of the tropical garden, blue seas and skies, the bluebells at Overbeck's Garden create a striking sight.

North Devon

In North Devon, bluebells bloom in Beckland Woods, near Brownsham, along the coast path from Peppercombe to Bucks Mills, and in Barton Wood, near Watersmeet.

Buckland Abbey

Buckland Abbey is steeped in 700 years of history. At this ancient place in spring the Great North Wood is a sea of bluebells.

Bluebells in Cornwall

Bluebells at Cotehele

The woods between Cotehele Quay and the Chapel-in-the-Wood is the place to find bluebells. The chapel marks the spot where Richard Edgcumbe I made a narrow escape from King Richard III's men in 1483.

Godolphin

Godolphin is rich in archaeology and wildlife. The sixteenth-century garden is one of the most important historic gardens in Europe. The tranquil and mysterious woodland, where the years of mining have left an unnatural undulating landscape, is carpeted in bluebells.

a path surrounded by bluebells with a large pink flowering rhododendron in the foreground leads down through the garden at Glendurgan in Cornwall

Brilliant bluebells at Glendurgan

Perfect woodland conditions provide the ideal habitat for bluebells to thrive, with each year's display more impressive than the last. Alongside bluebells and other wildflowers are imposing rhododendrons with their dramatic large flowers and vibrant display of colour.

Bluebells on the Tin Coast in Kenidjack Valley

Tin Coast Bluebells

During April and May the blue Atlantic sea crashing into the Tin Coast doesn’t stop at the cliffs, there’s a sea of bluebells to behold in the fields and cliff tops along the Tin Coast.

English bluebell, Hyacinthus non-scriptus, in the garden in May at Killerton, Devon — Admire the delicate English bluebells

Can you tell your English bluebells from your Spanish?

The English bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) is striking, deep violet-blue, with tiny bell-shaped flowers which hang to one side of the stem (known as an influorescence). Spanish bluebells are very similar but their flowers hang around the stem, which grows straight upright.

" ...sweet are the bluebells that hide in the valley..."

A pathway through a bluebell wood — Go for a spring wander

Did you know?

Bluebells are delicate and easily damaged, especially if they’re trodden on. Damage can prevent the leaves from photosynthesizing, causing the plant to die back. Bluebells take many years to get established, so minor damage can have long-lasting impact. Help to look after the bluebells by watching where you tread, and sticking to marked pathways.

Bluebell woodlands — Bluebells in bloom in a mystery location, taken on Garden Adviser Ian's daily walk

High energy bulbs that will light up your spring

Garden expert Ian Wright extols the magic of bluebells. 'To me bluebells are 'the' iconic flowers late spring. Watching our hedgerows and woodlands turn blue lifts the soul... and perhaps not surprisingly bluebells are also steeped in mystical folklore. Are fairies really summoned by the ringing of its bells? If you hear the bell does that mean your sudden demise? Or does wearing a wreath of flowers means you can only speak the truth?'

" Even the nineteenth-century Romantic poets Tennyson and Keats were under the spell of the bluebell, believing it symbolised regret and solitude. I say nonsense - this bulb is a true symbol of the fantastic beauty of nature. "