A COMPETITION to find the “ultimate bluebell” has been launched by a Forest and Wye Valley tourism body.
The Forest and Wye Valley are among the best places in Britain to see stunning displays of wildflower beauty.`To celebrate, Visit Dean Wye is thrilled to announce the launch of the world’s first Ultimate bluebell 2023 competition.
Ultimate bluebell 2023 is open to photographers of all levels, and invites them to capture the beauty and essence of the bluebell in all its glory.
The competition is free to enter prizes include, a one to one photography session with professional photographer David Broadbent, a stay with a local accommodation providers, along with several runner-up prizes and honourable mentions.
The competition is open until May 31 and images shouild be uploaded to Instagram and shared with the #UltimateBluebell23 hashtag.
The winners will be announced on Facebook.com/VisitDeanWye and Instagram instagram.com/VisitDeanWye
Entries will be judged by a panel of photographers and nature enthusiasts, who will select the winning photographs based on creativity, technical skill, and the ability to capture the essence of the bluebell.
Head judge is Ed Drewitt, the naturalist, wildlife detective and zoologist. He says: “The bluebell is an icon of spring, a sign of the forest bursting into life, and we want to celebrate its beauty by finding the perfect specimen, the Ultimate bluebell’. We want to inspire people to get out and capture its beauty in their own unique way.”
“More than just their exquisite shape and colour, many insects reap the benefits of bluebells which flower earlier than many other plants. Woodland butterflies, bees and hoverflies all feed on their nectar. Bees can ‘steal’ the nectar from bluebells by biting a hole in the bottom of the flower, reaching the nectar without the need to pollinate the flower.”
There are two varieties of bluebell – British and Spanish.
The British variety (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) has flowers that are usually deep violet-blue in colour, bell-shaped with six petals and up-turned tips.
The flowers nod or droop to one side of the flowering stem (known as an inflorescence) and have creamy white-coloured pollen.
Some flowers can be white or pink. Up to 20 flowers can grow in one inflorescence.
The Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica) is very similar but grows upright, with the flowers all around the stem, not drooping to one side like the British bluebell. Hybrid bluebell (Hyacinthoides x massartiana) is a mix of the British and Spanish bluebell.
Bluebells are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside 1981 and picking or removing them is an offence.
Among the best places in the Forest to see bluebells are:
- Bradley Hill and Soudley Ponds - You will find displays all around Soudley Ponds including from The Dean Heritage Centre. At Bradley Hill there is a carpet of blue under the coppice of old oak and beech trees as you reach the old Roman Road.
- Bigsweir and Cadora Woods - Renowned for their bluebell woods this section of the Wye Valley takes in the Offa’s Dyke Footpath north of Bigsweir Bridge travelling towards Redbrook.
- St Briavels - St Briavels Castle makes a fantastic starting point for walks in the surrounding woodland which becomes a riot of blue from the end of April.
- Beechenhurst - Surrounded by unspoilt woodland, Beechenhurst has blankets of blue all about you.
- Speech House Woods - The Cyril Hart Arboreturm and Speech House Woodland next door are also perfect spots for bluebell walks.
- Cannop Ponds - The trees at the water’s edge shelter a carpet of bluebells.
- Symonds Yat Rock- With the canopy still budding, you can look down into the Wye Valley and spot bluebell woods for miles around. The area around Biblins bridge has rich displays.
- Lydney Park Estate Spring Gardens - The eight-acre woodland garden provides one of the most spectacular shows of bluebells around.
- May Hill - Commanding views from the brow of the hill reveal swathes of bluebells on its slopes.
- Coppett Hill - Near Goodrich this hilltop is blanketed with beautiful bluebells in spring and there are spectacular views of the countryside.