5 Best places to see English Bluebells from London
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Stuck in London and running low on ideas of what to do at the weekend? English bluebells are notorious in the UK during the spring season and really are a beautiful sight to experience. Honestly, it was frustrating to see how little justice photographs do the views. The destinations below can easily be reached by public transport and make for a good day trip from central London.
These plants require a lot of sunlight to flourish so they come out and bloom for only a few weeks, before the woodland trees develop their leaves and cast shadow.
Bluebells are a sign
Specifically, they’re a sign than you’re standing in an Ancient woodland. Ancient woods are areas of woodland that have persisted since 1600 in England and Wales, and 1750 in Scotland. This is roughly the time when maps became available so we can trace the history back in these spots.
Conservation
Bluebells in UK are registered under Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) and this means that you cannot pick them or dig up the bulbs. Farmers are also not allowed to remove or sell the flowers from their land.
Use of Bluebells
These flowers have historically been used for much more than just decoration. Their sap has been used to bind books and attach feathers to arrows and their bulbs have been even used to starch clothing by grinding up the bulbs.
There are a number of potential medicinal uses for the flowers. They have a diuretic effect and could help stop bleeding.
Mythology
Bluebell woods are often linked to dark fairies in mythology. In folklore it is believed that anyone who wears a garland of bluebells, they will be compelled to tell the truth. There is folklore around the ringing of the bells. It is said that the ring of the bluebell calls all the fairies to a gathering. However, if a human hears the bell they will be visited by a dark fairy and die soon after.
The Latin name for bluebell is Endymion. This was the name of the love of the moon goddess Selene. According to the myth, she put Endymion into an eternal sleep so she alone could enjoy his beauty.
Ashridge Estate - Dockey Wood
ADDRESS: Ringshall, Berkhamsted HP4 1LT, UK
TIME TO GET THERE FROM CENTRAL LONDON: 1 hour 15 Minutes
DIRECTIONS: From London on public transport, you need to get to Tring Railway Station. You can get there from Euston Station in central London. After you get to Tring, you can either walk or take the bus #387 (Aldbury) (Get Directions).
There are trains roughly every 20 minutes out of Euston.
RIchmond Park - Isabella Plantation
ADDRESS: Richmond, UK
TIME TO GET THERE FROM CENTAL LONDON: About 1 hour
DIRECTIONS: To get here from central London on public transport, you need to get to
Surbiton Railway Station from London Waterloo. After you get to Surbiton, you can take the bus #K3 Bus (Putney Vale) to Warren Road Coombe and walk from there (Get Directions).
Wanstead Park
ADDRESS: Zone 4, London, UK
TIME TO GET THERE FROM CENTAL LONDON: About 25 minutes from Liverpool Street
DIRECTIONS: To get here from central London on public transport, you can take the Central line to Wanstead Station or the TFL to Manor Park from Liverpool street and walk from there (Get Directions).
Hatchlands Park - Surrey
ADDRESS: East Clandon, Guildford GU4 7RT, UK
TIME TO GET THERE FROM CENTAL LONDON: About 1 hour 30 minutes minutes from Waterloo Station
DIRECTIONS: To get here from central London on public transport, you can take the South Western Railway from Waterloo Station to Wanstead Station to Bookham. At Bookham you would need to switch to the #479 bus to Hatchlands (Get Directions).
Emmetts Garden - Kent
ADDRESS: Ide Hill, Sevenoaks TN14 6BA, UK
TIME TO GET THERE FROM CENTAL LONDON: About 1 hour 40 minutes minutes from London Bridge Station
DIRECTIONS: To get here from central London on public transport, you can take the Southeastern Railway from London Bridge Station to Sevenoaks. From there, you walk over to the Sevenoaks bus station and take the S41 bus to Community Shop and walk from there for about 15 minutes (Get Directions).