The blue of the bells

The last few days I have seen so many bluebells that I was still seeing blue when I closed my eyes at night!

Folklore says that fairies use bluebells to lure human beings into the nether world and trap them forever. Well if this is true, I think I got got! 

I feel somewhat enchanted.

English bluebells often grow where woods have been woods continuously for four hundred years or more, and I just learned that the UK is home to over half of the worlds population. We have a lot of ancient woods around here in Hebden Bridge, so we also have a lot of bluebells.

I've walked many miles over the last three days to see them.

Colden Clough was spectacular as it had bluebells and wild garlic a plenty.

The garlic flowers were like a covering of snow.

We we passed through in the early evening light

and caught some shadows.

And this is Jumble Hole which is such a curious place. This hillside is full of the remains of old buildings, with it's roofs adorned in bluebells, ferns, moss and garlic. 

The little holes you can see in the walls are where they used to keep beehives. Vanessa from Heart Gallery wrote a blog post which goes into the history of the area if you'd like to know more.

There is one white bell for every ten thousand blue ones apparently. We saw a few.

At one point we were standing on the path facing this hillside of blue and it was all that the eye could see. We softened our eyes and soaked them in that colour. And we breathed in that scent. It's all so fleeting. We have to make as much of the moment as we can.

Colden Clough and Jumble Hole are both steep and rugged walks but there is also Hardcastle Crags our local National Trust woods where you can find oodles of stunning bluebells on some more accessible routes. 

Right here in our valley they are at their peak. Don't miss them. Those bluebell fairies are still casting their spells and waiting to enchant you too.