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Bluebells at Calke Abbey

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We did a circular walk in the grounds of Calke Abbey this morning, mainly to seek out the bluebells. Our route passed through two separate wooded areas of this National Trust managed estate where the bluebells were particularly spectacular.

Native bluebells are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It’s against the law to dig up bulbs in the wild and landowners aren’t allowed to dig them up to sell them either.

Here in the UK we have more than half of the world’s bluebells and you can see them in woods up and down the country each spring. They are powerful magnets for photographers and artist alike.

Out of the woods and back towards the car park we caught this glimpse of the hall through the trees.

Chesterton’s Fence

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During a recent walk around the wonderful parkland surrounding Calke Abbey, a National Trust property in South Derbyshire, we came across this fence. Yes it’s fair to say that it’s seen better days and is in need of some TLC, but it does make an interesting foreground feature to this idyllic pastoral scene.

Back home I searched for a suitable ‘fence’ quote and soon came across this one by G K Chesterton – “Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up”.

This quote became known as Chesterton’s Fence which went on to explain that some reformers will say “I don’t see the use of this; let us clear it away.” To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: “If you don’t see the use of it, I certainly won’t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.” Wise words indeed!

Primrose time

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A welcome sign that Spring is on its way is the flowering of primroses, or to give them their slightly derogatory species name, primula vulgaris. The leaves look quite tough and hardy but the tissue paper thin petals are so delicate it is amazing how they withstand the cold and wet weather that is here now and will no doubt be with us for a few more weeks.

In my previous post I included a quote from Victorian gardener Gertrude Jekyll – here’s another one…

“More than half a century has passed, and yet each spring, when I wander into the primrose wood, I see the pale yellow blooms and smell their sweetest scent – for a moment I am seven years old again and wandering in that fragrant wood”. Gertrude Jekyll

with a Victorian theme, apparently Queen Victoria used to send primroses to prime minister Benjamin Disraeli as they were his favourite flowers.