8 BLUEBELL WALKS
WENDOVER
There’s so much to see and do at these lovely Wendover Woods. The sea of bluebells is amazing as are the endless walks and cycle trails. There’s also the on-site café, adventure playground, highway rat forest trails and Go Ape! Note: the car park can get very busy and some days the main gate even gets closed before midday.
If you only fancy the bluebell walk, there are plenty surrounding the woods as you drive up Aston Hill – however this is a walking route only, so there’s no parking on the roads around Wendover Woods. See below for more info on this walk from forestryengland.uk
PENN WOOD
Penn wood is pretty spectacular and sits in the heart of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with a long history.
According to the Woodland Trust, it used to be part of a large common called Wycombe Heath. You can see buzzards and red kites overhead, not to mention beautiful bluebell sections in the spring. Look out for butterflies and dragonflies near the ponds! See Woodland Trust’s link below for more info.
CLIVEDEN
Where to start with Cliveden…the panoramic views over the Thames alone are a site to behold! You will need to be a National Trust member to witness the sea of bluebells appearing (usually) in late April. The National Trust says it perfectly when they describe ‘The magnificent ancient woodlands surrounding the formal gardens, revealing a glorious bluebell bounty’. There is even a bluebell walk leaflet and if you fancy, a self-guided walk which will take you to into the woods to see cowslips, snowy wood anemones and dog violets. See the National Trust’s site below for more info.
POPES MEADOW, BINFIELD
Popes’ Meadow is named after the 18th century philosopher and poet, Alexander Pope. It’s a Green Flag Award-winning site and has a small wooded copse (small group of trees) which happens to be full of bluebells. At Binfield Road in Bracknell are The Three Copses; Tinkers, Jocks and Temple, which are located near Jocks Lane playground. There are circular walks on pathways through the copses where you will find a gorgeous carpet of bluebells. (Jocks Lane playground is a great pit stop for kids too and there is a café during the summer months.) Parking wise, there is free parking in the Jocks Lane Recreation Ground car park, Binfield Road, Bracknell, RG12 2BH.
Check out Wokinghamrocks website below for more info on additional bluebells walks – Murrel Hill being another!
BISHAM WOODS, COOKHAM DEAN
Only a stone’s throw from Marlow, Bisham Wood certainly rolls out its blue carpet each year. Word is that royalty from the historic Bisham Abbey, just over the road, would have stomped and frolicked in this ancient woodland. With 400 acres to explore, you will see blue carpets along many of the circular routes.
COMMON WOOD, TYLERS GREEN, BUCKS
Common Wood is a semi-natural ancient woodland near Tylers Green, just outside High Wycombe. The woods attract many different species of flora and fauna and in the spring there are carpets of bluebells. Warning: although a beautiful walk, the sea of bluebells can be tricky to find! I’ve drawn a blue line on the map to help you find them but in short, you will need to turn left along Deadman Dean Bottom in order to see them.
There are also several paths through Common Wood likely to be suitable for people with impaired mobility and users of wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs with good firm paths forming a circular route through the wood.
Parking wise, there is parking for 3 cars by the main entrance – take a look at The Chilterns site below for more info.
GREYS COURT HENLEY
Grey’s Court is a favourite of my three boys, let alone when the bluebells are in the mix! You will need to be a National Trust member to gain access, but for those who are, the bluebells can be found in the Spinney Woods along Sir Felix’s path. With marked-out paths for families to follow, the sea of blue really is breath-taking. There are also walled gardens, and a children’s play area in the woods to keep the kids occupied.
ALSO! For £3 you can have a guided walk through the bluebells! Book here through Eventbrite.
HAMBLEDEN
If you want to see the Chilterns at their finest, we recommend you head for a Hambleden walk, which is one of our favourites and sits between Henley and Marlow. Starting off at the Stag and Huntsman Pub, there’s a lovely 4-mile route here that packs in views of the Thames Valley and a wander through the aptly named Great Wood, where you can expect to see oodles of bluebells in bloom. See below for info on our previous walks there.