Foxley Wood Bluebells

The Wild Bluebells of Foxley Wood

Every year I see someone else’s pictures of wild bluebells carpeting the woodland floors of the English countryside and I promise myself that I will remember to make it to see them next year (a promise I started 3 years ago). Well, this bank holiday weekend I finally made it to witness the floral phenomenon for myself; good news,  if you are reading this between mid-April and early May then there is still time for you to visit them too!

Foxley Wood, a short drive from Norwich along the Fakenham road, is thought to be the largest ancient woodland in Norfolk and every spring its coppice is afire with the dazzling hues of a sea of bluebells.

Visit Foxley Woods to see the wild bluebells:

Wellies are recommended

Like a typical city-dweller I thought a pair of trainers would be sufficient for a wild bluebell hunting trip as it hadn’t rained heavily in a while. As you can see from the picture below, I found the afore-mentioned trainers filled with mud within minutes of entering the woodland.

Along with your wellies, you’re also going to need a dash of adventurous spirit as they can take a little finding. I believe it is possible to stick to a path and find them with minimal mud incursion (there certainly were a lot of other people around who weren’t in the same state as me) but where’s the fun in that?

Keep Your Eyes Peeled

If you find yourself ambling around the tranquil paths of this ancient woodland, occasionally sighting a little patch of colour off through the tree-line and feeling like you may have taken a wrong turn and missed the bluebells altogether, fear not! All of a sudden a purpley-blue haze becomes visible amongst the trees and suddenly an enchanted forest of flowers springs vividly into view and you know you’ve found them.

There’s a wooden bench next to the path with grassy banks either side to sit down on and absorb the peace of the nature reserve around you; if you’re careful you’re also able to pick your way through a break in the branches and perch on a fallen tree trunk to take in the sublime surroundings.

For other great locations for finding bluebells, you can read my posts on Where to See Bluebells in Norfolk and the bluebells of Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden.

Explore my Norfolk Life category for other great things to find in this fine county.

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